I'm just so impressed with this show! It's been such an emotional rollercoaster, with a few low points but so many good high moments <3 <3 <3 I have nothing but love for this show. The emotions are so raw and the acting is all on point!

The only thing I'm waiting for at the point is whether or not they're going to address that question about what happened to Gil-dong in the forest with the tiger! It's been gnawing at my brain this whole time!

Thanks for the recap, dramallama!
And BIG YES to all of this:
"And I really appreciate that Gil-dong isn’t the leader the movement most of all. He’s strong physically, but his strength as a mover of the people is what makes him the Mighty Child. I love that the show committed to that calling instead of resorting to his immense power to solve all issues. Gil-dong is the heart of the people, and that’s so much more powerful that the mysterious strength he was born with. I have so many words for this show, but ultimately, I just loved it. It was an incredible ride, and these avengers brightened my weeks with their charm, wit, and camaraderie. Thank you, show, for being a good one. Here’s hoping for a great finale."

Thanks @dramallama for the recap!

"I notice that I’ve turned into a bit of a sadistic creature with this show."

This was my first thought as I watched the powerful king reduced to become a madman, tormented by cries of people waging war against him. I asked myself what the Show has done to me. But I know the king deserved everything he got in this episode and more. But thanks to Kim Ji Hyuk's amazing performance, I also felt pity for him! How he could have rule if only he had listened to his people. How different would he have been if he had accepted that his methods of getting people under his control was not just wrong, but barbaric. And while I felt pity for him, I knew that anything less than what he got in this episode would have left me utterly disappointed. So I was glad to see his world crumbling apart...as he tried to hold onto the weak rope attached to his throne: his kingship, entitlement, his people (those who in the end finally turned their backs on him).
I loved the scene where Nok Soo hides him under her skirts. It says so much about them both. He is literally haunted by his demons. He can hear the screams and cries of his enemies. And the only person to offer him comfort is Nok Soo. And here I thought she was after power. Does she really, truly love the king now? Even though he has lost almost everything? Why is she still offering him comfort?

Gil Dong's calm reaction when he saw that Ga Ryung has woke up.. I screamed in my head, "why is he so freaking calm?!" Turns out boy has had too many dreams that when he gets to see his real wife in front of him, he cautiously thinks that it's just another dream.. poor Gil Dong..

Also, I can't believe they didn't show us how Gil Dong would introduce Ga Ryung to his siblings. I want to see a proper reaction from Gil Hyun and Eorini. But I guess it's not really a right moment to show us about Hong family scenes when there's a huge rebellion plan to overthrow the King of Joseon right in front of them..

Anyway, I haven't watched the last episode so I hope there won't be any (even tiniest) spoiler about the ending in the comment section ^^ thanks..

Jeong Hak helped the Rebel by opening the gate.. I still hate him ! It only shows that he really isn't a loyal person (and an opportunist coward on top of that). He only chose side which could give him the most benefit for his own safety. And Jeong Hak doesn't even deserve to receive those smile of yours Gil Hyun !

My hope for the episode that already came out and I have yet to see:
1. Scholar Song better get his comeuppance
2. We better get answers for Mori and OkRan
3. More GaRyung GilDong scenes PLEASE!!
4. The Jo duo got their comeuppance but I won't mind more *sadistic side is coming out*
5. I know the real JangNokSoo's end isn't pretty but can you blame me for not wanting it to end horribly for her? *sadistic side retreats*

Thank you for a wonderful episode! I love how it melds in history with the fictional wonderfully and even with it's flaws I love all the characters so..... Just please end well!!!!

I was excited actually to see Mori is alive ?Ok i rather come back on final epi recap, before accidentally spoil anything ?

Kim Ji Suk's potrayal as Yeonsangun is terrific (and outshone GilDong at some parts) . I hope he follows the step of Namgoong Min, where is career turning point was after played villain in GWSS and Remember.

Ha, the drama really did answer my question if there is another purpose to the music girl that is always around Ok-ran, Ga-ryung and Sang-hwa: she is obviously meant to be Yeong-gae's new love interest! :) - I hope he will have better luck than last time! We can't have Gil-dong be the only Hongvenger in a happy relationship! ;)

Rebel is so awesome in many ways, especially on the last few episodes. I'm waiting for the last episode recap so that I can comment more on it but one thing for sure is I will hold this show dearly for long.

And yes that reunion between Ga-ryung and Gil-dong is so moving (though at first I thought it was a dream and she's actually dead!). Also her reunion with the band of brothers. Gosh, I love all of them so much.

I LOVED THE LAST TWO EPISODES. Sorry, it's been 20 hours since I've watched the finale and I'm still in a haze of bliss. I'll leave the in depth analysis for others to do well, for at the moment, I just want to say thank you to the recappers for continuing to put this on my radar so I could jump in half way, thank you to those who watched it too and made the experience more fun, and thank you to the k-netizens who amused me endlessly with their live comments.

Hopefully I'll have something with more substance to say for the finale episode. (WHICH I LOVED.) (JUST IN CASE YOU DIDN'T GET IT THE FIRST TIME.)

This is such a great episode (once again)! It hit all the emotional notes for me and I especially LOVED the build up to the revolution in the palace - how the king has fallen and was just left with the few loyal people who just couldn't bear to break the news to him...

The scene where Nok-Su and the head eunuch met and were talking figuratively in the palace was so beautiful!

Honey Lee's portrayal of Nok Soo is layered and impressive. It added texture to what would otherwise have been a caricature role. The viewers were made to understand that even when she was evil, there were reasons for it, a woman struggling to survive in a political world with a mad king, who has no real power of her own; the only authority she has is that of the king's. And the king was unstable, and changed his favor at whim. So she had to do what she could to survive that situation. This might be an unpopular view, but I liked her character as Nok Soo, far better than Chae Soo bin's Ga Ryung, which I felt was a little bland and conventional. If you're going to play a villainess, then at least make her sympathetic and relatable. Honey Lee excels at these roles, I liked her similar role in Shine or Go Crazy as well.

Nok Soo and Eunuch Kim made me cry this episode, especially Kim. He's the only one who truly loves the king no matter his status or title and for him to face the revolution, tears in his eyes, defending his king alone... *ugly cries*

I'm sooo freaking glad Ga-ryung woke up. Firstly, I have to say I feel so bad for Gil-hyun who must be just absolutely exasperated by Gil-ryung. His wife is all self-sacrificing and gets her husband to give her a near mortal injury and his brother refuses medical attention to pretty much die by her bedside. Poor older brother is probably just all 'WHY CAN'T THEY BOTH JUST STAHP THE MADNESS AND LIVE FFS! WHY MUST I MOM THEM ALL!'

I did really like that Gil-dong and Ga-ryung had an injury in a same spot near their hearts. OTP evidence right there lol. It also occurred to me that it's interesting that Ga-ryung was blindfolded. And then something clicked and reminded me of Eros/Cupid. I believe the myth is that if you're struck by Cupid's arrow, you'll fall in love with the first person you see. (I suppose given the whole set up with the Hongvengers leaving our fave couple together to coalesce, Gil-dong would have been the first person she saw lol) But also, Gil-dong's shooting her was a form of proving his love for her. She asked him to sacrifice her for the people and bypassed Nok-soo's game that Gil-dong would prove that she was nothing if she were killed. Then there's the whole story of Cupid and Psyche and how Psyche has to go through these crazy trials to make it back to Cupid since she violated a code and saw his face and pissed off Aphrodite...which is basically Ga-ryung's palace adventure. (I won't get into the whole myth lol but it's probably one of my fave Greek myths.)

Aside from that...man it killed to see Gil-dong so broken up over her. But I just think everything he said to her while unconscious and conscious was just absolutely beautiful. How he begs her not to make him a widower or just to come back even if she hates him and wants to leave.

And then when he wakes up and sees her...and it's a parallel of how he saw her in his dreams before he first saw her at the stake. How he was so hesitant was just painful...and then his lines about staying in a dream or being dead together was so right in the feeeeels. But the poor boy has had nothing but his dreams of her where he just always wakes up. And of course, he's never been able to touch her in any of them which made the moment when she put his hand to her face all the more emotional for him. I also love how this scene is a direct parallel of Episode 14 after he gets Mighty Child Syndrome and passes out saving everyone from the Heo Tae Hak attack. Ga-ryung falls asleep watching over him and wakes up to find him awake and watching her. He finally agrees to be her orabeoni...but in a brotherly sense initially. Either way, he accepts her. Here, their roles are reversed and Ga-ryung accepts him.

This show has been totally amazing,i have to say the actor who played yeonsangun, is one hell of an actor,will definitely miss this.

(I wrote this right after watching the episode and now I'm late for the recaps so I'm sorry if I repeat what others have commented already hehe)
1. I hadn't realized that Gil-dong and Ga-ryung had mirroring wounds on the left side of their chests, Gil-dong's being thanks to Mori and we all know how Ga-ryung got hers. Also so so so heartbreaking how Gil-dong's first thoughts upon waking was that it's all a dream, because for the longest time he's only been seeing her through his dreams/illusions. Many tears were shed. He's so devoted to her I can't handle all my feels because of these two ;~;
2. I can't help feeling that Ga-ryung being worried and scared for Gil-dong is some kind of foreshadowing for the next episode huhu. But I also admire her so much for not being all 'no don't go it's too dangerous don't leave me' because she's noble and awesome like that.
3. Mori??? Is Ok-ran going to secretly take care of him or something? Why not tell the others? Gil-dong would obviously pardon him, right?
4. Love how Yeonsangun was literally a child hiding in his mother's/Nok-su's skirts. He's totally lost it and Eunuch Kim and Nok-su are resigned to their fate for siding with the King.
5. And Wolhamae willingly came back!!!! And now she's like Nok-su's last shred of humanity
6. Hong family is best family dynamic no questions asked
7. This episode really hit home the fact that we're approaching the end and I'm very much not ready to let this go. It's really become all about the people rising up against the King, exactly what Gil-dong wanted for them to do from the very start.

Often time we get dramas where its second half can't follow up the awesomeness of its first half, but I think Rebel is set to outdo each of its previous episodes and I absolutely have no complaints lol.

I think everybody has acknowledged the acting prowess of our leads but I want to praise our director as well. One can clearly see that this drama is not given a high budget, especially if you compare to dramas like Queen Seondeok (also aired in MBC) where they employed thousands of extras for war/fighting scenes. The lack of extras acting as soldiers/people is very noticeable here, especially in the scene where the people enters the palace to take down the King. However, I think the director did his best in the given capacity. I have always admired his camera work. His camera angles are just so beautiful and his timing of background music are always on point. I think the synergy of great writing and directing is one of the biggest selling point of this drama to me. I hope we will get another work by this writer-director combo again in the future!

Important: Mori Mori Mori Mori Mori Mori Mori Mori Mori Mori he must be protected

This drama does a really good job exploring the theme of loyalty and love from so many of its characters. It’s easy enough to see when love and loyalty go hand-in-hand: Gil-dong and Ga-ryung, the Hongvengers, Eunuch Kim, Wolhamae. But when it goes hand-in-hand like that, I wonder whether it is love or loyalty? Is it separable? The characters above all had been with their significant others for a very long time, long before they had nothing and everything. If it did start out as love, loyalty ensued, and vice versa.
And there are clear instances where it’s just loyalty: Jeong Hak and Minister Park and many of those who served in the palace have pledged loyalty to the king but end up betraying him. Even Gil-hyun pledged loyalty to the king when he was in court, but his love and loyalty to his family prevailed. Poor Mori, did he stay with Heo Tak because of love or loyalty? We know he was abandoned and Heo Tak took him in. We’ve also seen Madam Jo sacrifice everything for her son.
So when it comes to the relationship between the king and Noksoo, I’m a little unsure. Was the king’s jealousy when he found out Noksoo and Gil-dong’s relationship rooted in love? Why did he continue to keep Noksoo beside him? Noksoo stayed with him until the end; was she really so convinced of her decision as right that she’ll sacrifice her life? SPOILER ALERT (but not really). The king and Noksoo’s separation was expected but a little heartbreaking for me, nonetheless. It was sad to know that they had no one else.
It’s a testament to both actors and the writer because they really showed the complex characters in both the king and Noksoo. It’s frustrating when we can’t figure out the character’s motivation/emotion because the actor can’t act (ahem, in Ruler). I felt the tragedy of the king and Noksoo’s separation regardless of my uncertainty of their feelings.

Yonggae’s heart skips a beat when one of Eorini’s fellow palace musicians gets too close to treat him

When he looks at her he's supposed to seem lovestruck, but actually it looked to me more like the just-lost-the-contact-lens-and-can't-see-anything scene I just saw in Suspicious Partner.

mother and son will serve as the king’s slaves

One again a subtitler said "servant" instead of "slave", which makes their freak-out make less sense. What should be the punishment for continuing to mis-translate, and should we show leniency because of past service??

Most of us would think the king killed too many of his officials. Kim Jung-un might say he didn't kill enough - should have also gotten the ones who eventually overthrew him.
Machiavelli said that if you're going to purge a bunch of powerful people, do it all at once and then stop, so after it's over the ones you didn't kill won't think they're about to be killed too. If you keep killing a few at a time, everyone you haven't killed (yet) will be so afraid they are next that they might take desparate risks to strike first. I don't think Yeonsangun or Kim Jung-un got the memo.

I'm trying really really hard not to comment on the finale! Which was as awesome as the last few episodes have been.

I felt like this was Nok Soo and The People's episode. (Gil dong was the one before, Ga Ryung before that). Evil king was also really interesting this episode. Both Nok Soo and the king have been pretty despicable lately, but I felt sorry for both of them again.

Favorite moment was the hong brothers in all their glory overseeing the revolution. Soooo happy they all lived!!

Thank you, dramallama, for yet another fine recap and commentary. It has been a great pleasure reading your (and tineybeanie's) interpretations for nearly 4 months. I know there's a lot I would have missed in translation were it not for you two -- and so many fellow Beanies who have shared their knowledge of Korean language, culture, history, and literature. ;-)

It's not just the epic action and terrific performances from the entire cast that continues to make REBEL such an enjoyable drama. The little details just keep hitting me where I live. Seeing Yong-gae go ga-ga for the musician who as bandaging Segul was a hoot. Sooburi's kvetching while Magistrate Eom did first aid on his face was a lovely geezer-mance. These old codgers have been through the mill together. The roughhousing by Ilchung, Keutsae, and Eop-san made my day. They can't be too badly hurt if they carry on like that.

If I'm not mistaken, Ga-ryung's fingers twitch slightly after Gil-dong holds her other hand to his face and his tear falls on it. Later, when he awakens, it is his wife's tears falling on his hand that brings him around.

Wolhamae's final performance with her Hair Ribbon Friend for Yeonsangun is "Song of the Green Mountains" (combined with "Gashiri," another Goryeo folksong, in the SIX FLYING DRAGONS OST).

https://bodashiri.tumblr.com/post/132995526751/goryeo-folk-songs

The traditional music and dance in REBEL has been one of the high points of the show for me. I'm glad we're getting to hear more of it as the show winds down.

Watching Yeonsangun doing his mask dances reminded me yet again of Mr. Rooftop Party in OH HAE-YOUNG AGAIN. Kim Ji-suk has been magnificent in portraying the tyrant as a complex and even sympathetic character who was as much a victim of a corrupt system as any of his abused subjects were. He may have been at the top of the food chain, but he's still ultimately a pawn when one considers the snake in the grass who led him astray in the first place: Song Sabu. This guy is like the Energizer Bunny of poisonous politics. He's still up to no good, and it made my heart sink. If he has his way, he'll find someone else to help him keep the whole corrupt Sugwidan shadow government rolling along. Like Madam Jo, he never gives up, and they blame others for their failures. – Seeing her and Jeong-hak being sentenced to palace slavery was a fitting end to the two of them.

Finally, we hear the name of Song Sabu's silent spy/servant: Teuk Jae. I'm wondering why the guy never says anything. Is this a tip of the hat to Writer-nim's earlier character, Kuchon? He is still an enigma. I thought for sure that he was going to be a double agent or something.

How does Ok-ran mean “Orabeoni” when she calls Mori that? Are they long-lost siblings after all?

I forgot to mention that I absolutely love Gil-dong's expression after Ga-ryung finally woke up from her comatose/sleep.

Ga-ryung: Husband...
Gil-dong: (smiles)
(Yes, he definitely think that this is still him hallucinating)

Ga-ryung: Husband, it's (really) me.
Gil-dong: (shocked, in tears)
(Finally he realises that he's not dreaming and his wife, the one that he's been looking for a few months/days and the one that he injured is really in front of him, breathing)

I DON'T WANT THIS DRAMA TO END *sob*

But I really do think it's a strong candidate for one of the best shows of 2017, even if we're not quite halfway through the year - I've never seen anything quite like it before, and even if work forces me out of here quickly, I just want to say that much.

(also - YAY Ga-ryung is alive! You were right that Gil-dong could never have made it through without her, and I'm still kind of amazed how they developed a side character who is most definitely NOT a typical sageuk heroine - princess/noble or spunky cross-dresser of some kind, or both - into such a central character).

The story of the hunter Geosa (without ending, because of the spoilers - only part 1)
- A buddhist tale from the Sanguk Yusa - freely retold
(Sinhyo-Geosa is believed to be an incarnation of Siddharta)

Once Upon a time there lived a young hunter in Gong-ju whose name was Geosa. Geosa had a mother who only ate meat. Therefore day in and day out she send Geosa on the field and woods to hunt wild animals and to shoot birds. One day Geosa encountered five beautiful cranes. He shot an arrow at them but the cranes flew away and Geosa didn't really feel like he wanted to hunt any further. The crane that Geosa had shot at had lost a single feather. Geosa picked it up and placed it in front of his eyes.
When Geosa returned home to Gong-ju all the people he met looked like wild animals and birds to him. Since Geosa didn't bring any animals home from the hunt, he cut out a chunk of flesh from his own body and offered it his mother.
Geosa had become tired of hunting and with passing time he became a monk who didn't eat any meat anymore.
One day Geosa came to the town of Hasol. When he saw - through the feather - the people living there, they looked like ordinary people and not like animals. Geosa met an old woman, who showed him the way to a thatched hut on the other side of a mountain pass. Then the old woman, who was Gwaneum (Guanyin) herself, disappeared in a mist.
... to be continued

After getting a Kafkaesque / dystopian twinge while reading about the clones in the upcoming drama DUEL, I got thinking about Song Sabu and the Sugwidan. It occurs to me that the Sugwidan gulag is reminiscent of Franz Kafka's short story "In the Penal Colony." I'm strongly reminded of Song Sabu's contorted logic.

https://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/kafka/inthepenalcolony.htm

Return of Random Thoughts!

1. I always wanted to, but kept forgetting to mention how I found it interesting to see the populace embrace Gil-dong through its pop culture, like children singing songs in the street about him rather than the king. It’s quite significant and a clear way he’s really stolen the king’s power and won over the people.

2. This is incredibly shallow…but I love that Ga-ryung is wearing my favourite colours, green and purple for the last two episodes lol.

3. It’s cool to see that we were right about Ga-ryung being alive and resurrecting herself and having pretty much all of the evidence come true lol.

4. Just like the tears of the people and Ga-ryung which resurrected Gil-dong and changed his path, Ga-ryung is awoken by Gil-dong’s tears for her. It’s a nice touch that they both end up crying on each other’s hands.

5. That scene with Gil-dong and the Hongvengers below talking to Minister Park and Song Sabu on the top watching everything reminds me of theatre. The characters on the bottom don't notice the ones watching, but it's just like Hamlet where characters secretly observe each other. It's a framing device rather than reality.

6. The king lowers his status when he decides to dance with the performers and forces the ministers to dance too. It’s why it’s so jarring for everyone and further shows how incapable he is of ruling. He gets knocked down once and it completely destroys the image it has of himself. His ego literally cannot take it so all he can do is pretend and numb himself to the past. He doesn’t take failure well. He loses his zest for life because he realizes that no matter what he’s been told about being the son of heaven, it doesn’t mean anything when there’s someone out there that can and has beaten him. I think part of it is that he’s also realized that he’s lost the mandate of heaven. If he had the mandate, he would have won because he’s heaven’s son and the gods are on his side. Now he knows that he’s beatable, illegitimate and spurned by the heavens.

7. It’s interesting and smart to make the revolution in the palace not take place because the ministers felt the king was wrong and had empathized with the people, rather…they do it for their own self-interest and continued survival. It’s Machiavellian as hell and I love it lol. I also love how Gil-dong and Gil-hyun are willing to use them…but know they are not to be trusted.

8. The dancing king! Mr. Rooftop Party returns!

More Random Thoughts:

9. The king bought loyalty from his servants/subjects. He didn’t earn it. So at the first sign of trouble, everyone leaves and abandons him. Just like his soldiers. That was pure foreshadowing. The ones that stay are there because they have nowhere else to go or because leaving would mean their lives or choices were meaningless or wrong. Shorty believed that being a eunuch was the best way to serve the country. Nok-soo believed in power above all else. Wolhamae stays because she has dedicated her life to being an artist and wants to be at the pinnacle.

10. Nok-soo’s final outfit as Consort Jang is white…a colour of death in Asia. She knows where this is going. Her best hairpin also looks like it’s made of amethyst which is a symbol of sincerity in Asia…so at the end, she embraces her death and is sincere in her choices. Maybe her affection for Yeonsangun is sincere too. She knows the king may be unable to love her…but she has a measure of love and affection for him. She’s just too guarded and too jaded to let herself really fall for him.

11. Wolhamae’s song is defiant and also timely…but I can’t help but think it’s going over Yeonsangun’s head. They’re all resigned to their deaths.

12. It’s interesting that the ministers are so aware that they need to win the hearts of the people to succeed, but so unaware to whom their hearts actually belong. Gil-dong is the one who has won their hearts. They are merely fighting for the same goal…their motives and their reason behind their actions are completely different.

13. I love that Gil-dong has inspired the people to take action into their own hands and take ownership of what they want and need to do. He doesn’t take the victory FOR the people. He allows them to choose themselves and be the ones that make the change. He may have inspired them…but he gives them the credit. And that’s a hard thing for a drama to pull off. For the main character to be hands off in the final plot point. To be the impetus of action, but not the force of the action. I can understand why some people might be turned off by the drama or feel like the climax was last week…but this storyline makes the drama stronger and stand on it’s feet to have the people take action. There’s something poetic about how the ministers with dubious motives will get all the credit for the rebellion, while Gil-dong, the one who forced it to happen, he’ll watch, take a backseat and become a folk hero and nothing more than a story…because unlike the ministers, he belongs to the people.

14. I love that the Hongvengers become the guardians of Joseon and the watchers on the wall lol.

15. Jeong-hak still thinks like a minister…for his own self-interest. He opens the door for revenge. Because his status has been lowered by Yeonsangun. He doesn’t care about the people or what the rebellion means. He does this to exact personal revenge on Yeonsangun and basically score points. He’s basically an opportunistic...

Still More Random Thoughts:

16. When they ask for Yeonsangun’s royal seal…I went ‘Ooooh’ since seals are so important in Asia. They legitimize a ruler and who has power and who doesn’t. In the west, those symbols are the crown jewels or the throne, but in Asia, it’s the seal, since it’s about the legitimacy of the king’s word. (Heck, people still geek out over the calligraphy/writing of emperors.) In western culture, we have more of a dominance of the spoken word (phonocentrism), while in Asia, it’s the dominance of the written word (logocentrism). Britain’s common law is considered unwritten. And many Greek philosophers preferred spoken language over written because text was seen as merely a refraction of language and not real language. Chinese itself has basically been unchanged more or less since the Han dynasty so anyone who can read Chinese has access to thousands of years’ worth of knowledge. (Plus, China basically has about 50 different dialects/languages…which is why the written word was so important. It was standard. Speech was not.) This is also why it’s such a big deal for Gil-hyun, a slave, to know how to read.

17. I love that Gil-hyun remembered Eorini’s bff and was able to reunite her with Ok-ran. Such an awesome brother. It must be insane to the gisaengs how Eorini is connected to these rebels lol. I do love seeing the relationship between Eorini and Ok-ran though. It’s through Ok-ran we see Eorini’s warmth initially.

18. I know Gil-dong was injured…but not really the extent of his injuries. He’s literally bleeding out in front of his wife lol. But it’s also incredibly sweet that his own injuries mean nothing to him in the face of Ga-ryung’s. He really is THAT devoted to her. Poor Gil-hyun having to deal with that though. Like I said before, he is probably just so over those two and their crazy self-sacrificing lol.

19. I liked seeing the bookending of the Hongvengers together with their injuries just like when they all had their last meal with those of Hyangjumok. It’s nice to see that Yong-gae is finally able to overcome his fear of women lol. But I love that Segul sets him straight. I kinda love Soboori’s relationship with Magistrate Eom since they’re such polar opposites. And Ilchung is like the biggest troll ever. He knows Kweut-sae is easy as eff. And Eobsan just allows himself to be roped into things.

20. It’s awesome to see the news of Hyangjumok’s victory spread to other towns and cities. Looks like even the king can’t stop all those stories and rumours spreading. Gil-dong has really increased his reach far and wide. I love how it’s some of the same Hong Chum Ji fans we’ve seen before. I kinda wished that we could see Gil-dong’s people swell in numbers to an even higher number than before and really show how big this has become…but well…budgets sigh. I kinda love that Song Sabu has to listen to how much someone he’s discounted has gained followers.

21. It’s interesting that the ministers have no idea what to do with the knowledge they now have that the people are on Gil-dong’s side and the king has completely been disregarded by them. They are truly out of touch since all they’ve done is cater to the whims of the king for their own position and served the people only as a coincidental consequence of pleasing the king. I find their treatment of the dude that was supposed to lead the rebellion against the king, Minister Park, Pyeongyeonggun(?) interesting. He’s another self-interested bureaucrat, but one with the pulse of the people and knows how to keep his head on his shoulders. He’s not a hero though.

22. It’s interesting that Yeonsangun thinks that his loss to Gil-dong and his subsequent escape is nothing but a vivid dream. It really shows his arrogance and what type of person he is. He totally cannot handle the fact that he lost and that the image he has of himself has shattered. He’s in total denial mode. It’s this kind of behavior which makes him unfit to rule because he relied so much on his position itself to reinforce his rule rather than actually work for it…He’s never really earned the right to rule, so his reign has always been on shaky ground with no foundation.

23. Nok-soo shows sympathy to the king and basically reinforces his denial by confirming that his loss and escape were nothing more than dreams…but like I’ve said before, all it does is enable Yeonsangun’s poor behaviour and shows her codependent behaviour. It’s not at all what Yeonsangun needs to hear to become a good ruler or to salvage the situation. But it also ensures her position as consort. And it’s all for naught because Yeonsangun realizes its truth anyway. But his reaction really shows the depth of his denial and lack of ability to see the reality of situations and why people act the way they do towards him.

24. There’s something incredibly poetic for such sadistic slave owners to become slaves themselves. It’s so interesting because they’ve tried so hard to back a king whose whims will do nothing but harm them. And they’ve also enjoyed the privilege of being noblemen but without the realization that Yeonsangun is the one that bestowed that privilege upon them and he can take it away at any time. Their position in society was always as precarious as that of a slave…The only differences is that they thought their privilege was a god given right…and not a privilege that can be taken away.

25. Yeonsangun cannot see that his will is now being subverted by the ministers…Instead of playing it his way, they’re going half way and pulling back with the excuse to feed the horses. None of them want to waste resources and come away losers (a PR disaster) like before. This expense is necessary to quell the rebellion…but it is also wasteful and now it seems like they would rather save face than fight for a king that doesn’t stand for anything. Plus, they now realize that Gil-dong is the key figure in the...

26. Gil-dong’s scene talking to an unconscious Ga-ryung is just so freaking heartbreaking. But I just love the language and dialogue he uses in both this scene and his actual reunion with Ga-ryung. Both are just so poetic and just show the depth of his heartbreak and pain. All his words contrast the truth of what the audience knows…That no, Ga-ryung loves him, that she won’t leave him. I just love the line about how must he become a widower and think of her for the rest of his life. Like how sad is that? It’s so Wolverine-ish…a guy with this healing factor forced to live life longer than he should with everyone who he’s ever loved and cared for gone…having died long before him. Through that, there is absolutely no doubt exactly how important Ga-ryung is to him.

27. In so many dramas, characters get together just because and you never feel an emotional pull as to why these people love each other…or even know if they’re devoted to each other…but you never doubt Gil-ryung. Ga-ryung is the forgotten daughter of a father who sold her off to a gibing. Despite her skill and pluckiness, she’s often pushed back and put down there by the other gisaengs…so is it any surprise that she decides to follow the guy who actually notices, listens and pays attention to her, albeit grudgingly? Even despite his attraction to Gong-hwa and his sadness at that point, Gil-dong is able to read that Ga-ryung needs to hear that she’s valued and appreciated. It’s something he doesn’t want to tell her either since he just throws out the line about how she’s the most beautiful girl at the gibang, but he does regardless. And for Gil-dong, she’s this girl who stays, despite everyone who has ever loved him leaving him. His mom is dead and later on, his dad too. He thinks Eorini and Gil-hyun are dead. Gong-hwa leaves. But this girl stays with him no matter what and doesn’t abandon him. For Gil-dong that means a lot when he’s lost so much.

28. On their wedding night, Gil-dong tells Ga-ryung that ‘I am you’ and from then on, his heart will be filled only with her. So it’s kind of fitting that just like Ga-ryung with a wound near his heart, he has one too. Plus, he’s just so metaphorically broken-hearted over the whole entire thing that it makes sense. Like a sympathetic injury lol.

29. I was actually in Taiwan and ended up going to the Confucius Temple where they had a display on Confucianism and archery and I was like oooh. Fangirl mode overdrive! Lol. (I took a picture of the descriptions lol) Basically, archery cultivates the heart and the mind and it’s through archery that one cultivates morality, ethics and concentration. (Like what Gil-dong had to do when he shot Ga-ryung lol) These are all attributes benevolent people should have. Archery not only preserves martial arts, but also helps revere rites. When people learn to master rites and manage boldness through archery, the nation and society could enjoy good social order. The whole point of archery is to observe...

30. Cupid/Eros and Psyche…I did mention it earlier, but the basic myth is that Psyche is this beautiful girl who raises Aphrodite’s ire because people start worshipping her beauty instead of Aphrodite’s. So to punish her, Aphrodite sends her son Cupid to shoot an arrow at her and make her fall in love with something ugly, preferably an ass or donkey (It could be true, or it could be me remembering a Midsummer Night’s Dream lol). Anyway, just as Cupid is about to do this, he pricks himself on one of his own arrows which makes him fall in love with Psyche almost immediately, since she’s the first thing he sees. So then Cupid is on a mission to marry this girl that his mom hates lol. He lures Psyche out and warns her that he can give her an incredibly life filled with riches, but the only thing is that she can never see his face. If she ever does, they can never be together again. Obviously, from the pestering of her family and friends, Psyche gets curious and one day gets a peep at Cupid’s face at night when he’s sleeping. Only she’s so stunned by his beauty that she burns him with candlewax, causing him to wake up, fly away and disappear from her life forever. She goes to Aphrodite and begs her to be able to be with her husband again and Aphrodite concedes, but only if she can do these three impossible tasks. Aphrodite is happy because she thinks there’s no way this chick can do them, but she does…since Psyche is kind and is able to get help. I think one task she ends up getting the help of ants to organize grain. Stuff like that. The last tasks involves going to the underworld and basically dying…but she succeeds because she’s ultimately loved by Cupid and he goes to the underworld to save her. And then she’s ultimately given ambrosia so she can become a goddess and really be with Cupid.

31. It’s significant that Wolhamae doesn’t go to fetch herbs. She’s like Nok-soo in that way. She doesn’t necessarily feel altruistic compassion for others. She’s more self-orientated. Plus, like Nok-soo, she identifies herself primarily as an artist and not just any old artist, she sees herself as one of the pinnacles of art in Joseon and her position means that she’s exempt from such trifling things as being the nurse to a whole bunch of rebels who took away her position. Overall, it’s not surprising she chooses to return to the palace and embrace her fate with Nok-soo.

32. Ok-ran doesn’t tell Eorini what happened in the hut…Interesting. She’s been such a goody-two-shoes in this series that it’s compelling to see her suddenly keep a secret from her best friend. Hmm…What is Mori to her? Did she know him before? Does she realize that he’s potentially the brother she lost now that she sees him up close…What’s going on?

33. Both Gil-dong and Yeonsangun deal with denial in this episode…but in opposite ways. Their significant others also handle it much differently. It’s a pretty cool contrast. Gil-dong is in denial over Ga-ryung being alive. He thinks...