Hee-soo is turning over a new life but it is too late. Her stupid plans made me dislike her and it can't be changed now.
I found myself nodding when Hyun-bo told Myung-ha that lord Kim willingly believed Hyun-bo's lies to attack Lee In. Even if it weren't for Hyun-bo, lord Kim would do the same. Myung-ha is the worst and he will now threaten everything Lee In has been building up to give the throne to his nephew by his stupid actions.

If Myung-ha has a sudden epiphany and somehow survives the whole thing at the end of this drama, I'll be heavily disappointed.

Other than that, I'm pleased with last week's episodes.

I can't believe we'll be having the finale this week.
I'll be officially entering a drama slump by next week if Queen of Tears doesn't hold me in.

Myung Ha is boring and uninteresting. Go away sir and I need him and Hyun Bo to be punished. As for Hee Soo, she has been getting away with MESS, that man loves her because....lol. That being said I still enjoyed these two episodes. As for this drama, although it isn't over JJS is KING literally and figuratively, without him this drama would have failed in spectacular fashion.

The scene that moved me the most this past week was Lee In's confession of his deep guilt over not honoring his brother's dying request directly. We finally see how that guilt has been impacting his mental and emotional state these past years. The story has focused primarily on the struggles of dealing with the treacherous ministers figuring out who is responsible for his brother's death, but behind all of it is that terrible guilt.

Also, shout out to the actor playing Lord Park. I think he's doing an incredible job with the shifting emotions on his face. He's made his character credible and truly hateable.

The ones who were asking for better communcation between the leads got it big time. And then some. I felt that it was too much at once, cringey at some points, had to ff past it and come back later to watch it.
It was obvious that she will get the knife and I thought it was more believable the way it happened, with Dal-ha (got his name finally) attacking while they were standing rather than them walking towards him). But the execution looked cartonish, maybe because of the eye patch is so puffy and I get distracted by it that it makes me laugh everytime and I feel like pull it and slap him with it. Maybe is the acting or the editing, there was a big pause there and felt amateurish. It just didn't work for me.
And everything that we learned has turned up to be somewhat dissapointing to me. Pretty much dumbed him down also. It turns out that he was just as improvising along the way like her. It would have worked better for me if he was the mastermind of the whole thing, that he knew he was a she, that he would call her and use her to do what he guessed she would, that he would have found her and protect her also because of her father and not only because of his feelings. Even his taking the throne by not following the last words of his brother was presented as a way to save his life and not as a greater motive of finding a way to fullfill his brother's wishes. That came later for him after feeling guilty for some time.

JJS once again did a marvelous job with the material tho I’m afraid the script did not do much favor to King’s character in these episodes. And the actress playing Lady Dong continues to impress. Her run-in with Mong-woo was a highlight. I’m in it for these two (and the little Prince), but I will give the script props for the high tension act. It does keep me on the edge of my seat. I was just waiting for the King and Mong-woo to be found out while embracing in the palace. After all, the plot does seem to rely a lot on eavesdropping and characters accidentally catching sight of what they shouldn’t have. LOL. I hope we have a memorable finale.

So her “getting out of THAT” was taking a knife for the King (because of course, no one in dramaland has a peripheral vision or a good hearing.) Hmmm. In real situation, you’d expect people to just not engage with people who tried to kill you, even if they saved you from the killing they concocted in the first place and you’d be just running away in an opposite direction screaming. But ok, whatever.

I really have no strong emotions about these 2 episodes. They felt mellow, almost like I was watching a familiar family drama rather than sageuk. Even, when they finally talk it out between themselves (finally!) I didn’t harbor strong emotions. I felt the writer was now scoobie-doo-ing motivations instead of presenting a well-thought-out motives with elements of surprise. “I ONLY did this because I used you to appoint Prince as a Crown Prince.” “I ONLY tried to kill you because I knew I won’t be able to do it later.” It’s a bit…I don’t know…immature? But, ok, I guess, I’m down with this.

Lady Dong scenes continue to be the high-stake drama within the drama. Her insults carry weight. Though, and I’m not a chemist, if someone can die from poison just by touching the lips, suggesting high lethality in very small concentration, how come SHE does not get poisoned? Especially if the kiss is deep, and tongues are involved on both sides. Questions, questions.

I’m actually hoping for a happy ending. This drama was billed as “a tragic love story” but it carries neither of that doomed lovers epic vibes, but carries all the elements of high-school love story, played out by the King and cross dresser. I’m looking forward to a finale.

The new openness between the king and Mong-woo was very welcome, I am not worried about future silly schemes from her. She paid for her stupidity with serious injury and sacrifice and was forgiven. This all went pretty fast, but I prefer this new state of affairs between the two.

I am not sure what to make of Inspector general Je-nam. He admitted to knowing about Mong-woo’s revenge plot, but he’d expected her to fail. Would such a failure not lead to punishment, normally execution? He did not seem to be very worried about this.

I have to congratulate Court Lady Dong to her robust health and being able to survive poisonous lip colour on her own lips! Poor woman, she is only being used by everybody around her. Nobody sees her as a person other than Mong-woo, the one person Lady Dong cannot like.

I do not understand Kim Myung Ha's motivations by siding with Hyun Bo and the Principal Director. If that is true and not a means to get revenge, he must be not right in the head and deserve to be hated by his nephew. He is putting his supposed beloved nephew in danger. That is after he found out HB's lies to his father. As of Hee Soo, She definitely needed to prevent the assassination at all cost and I do not feel bad that she got hurt by doing so. She has been getting away with a lot of things in this show.
Overall, it was a good set of episodes better than the previous week. Next week is bound to be better I hope when the King takes down the bad guy/s.

Usually, as we close in on the end of a drama, I stop liking it as much. It's still possible that all the resolution will happen in episode 15, leaving a flaccid and unnecessary tying of loose ends in episode 16. But these two episodes were so good and absorbing! I found myself suddenly caring so much about the usually incomprehensible political details, because their connection to human motivation was so much stronger. What does a contemporary viewer know of the difference between the influence of the Qing or the Ming on historical Joseon? But there is a big difference, for us, and for the FL lead who is standing in for us, whether the tortured ML was trying to protect his sweet, noble little nephew. Because I do think Hee-soo stands in for us, or at least for me. She feels sorry for Lady Dong, and so do I. She feels terrible that she led these two angry men to treason because she didn't understand that the king was protecting his nephew. I also feel sorry for both of them, that they operated without understanding. Even Myung-ha. I know you are all completely done with Myung-ha, but I think we've watched him get things wrong repeatedly--I feel bad for him. I'm not worried about any characters not being punished. They all seem to be in agony, all the time!

I'm tired by how Hee-Soo thinks she's important and how she thinks people needs her to act. No! Stay away from politics!

I really like to see the policts in this drama because both parties are smart and it makes it suspensful.

Chu Dal-Ha could talk about the domestic directly to the King and when he was arreted... not waiting for days...

Actually I am waiting for that ONE Baduk move @Joanna Empressgirl spoke about to become the theme of the last couple of episodes ... Empressgirl, I browsed sites re Baduk yesterday but could not find a name, do you know what that move would be called ? It seems you know how to play Go .... Here is what you said : « I especially want to see the baduk move where a stone can be surrounded on all fronts by enemy stones and yet NOT be captured. There is only one such game scenario. Fingers crossed! »

Also, I tried to find more info re the scriptwriter which is almost impossible bare that she authored or c-authored « Crowned Clown » but then I found a video re the press launch and there shakanim (however you would transcribe that in English) is presented as well. Put the Video through Sonix AI but had no time yet to to use the next step, Google Translate on what Sonix transcribed (with 86 per cent confidence). She appears to be quite a grey person, I found, quite different from the writer of « My Dearest » , but that's just a superficial impression by her looks.

Well, all the big secret is out now since the drama is nearing the end. Father is alive! A bit disappointed with how they deal with Mong woo being revealed to be Lord Kang Hang Soon's daughter tho. The special firearm unit must be the most loyal and best at keeping secret since Lee In didn't have problem confessing his big secret so close with the gate :P Also, it is nice to see Leemong finally hug each other. That and then the episode ended with scene of the kiss of death from Court Lady Dong. Hope the last two episode could live up with the expectations and can wrap the story nicely... or amazingly!