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The King 2 Hearts: Episode 10

My Hero! I knew you’d swoop in to save the day. It’s bromance and brothers and tough love, in an episode filled with harsh truths for everyone. Just when you think things couldn’t get any worse, they do, and that’s just the tip of the Iceberg of Doom.

 
EPISODE 10 RECAP

Jae-ha storms in to tell his staff that Hang-ah will be returning to North Korea. Mom and Jae-shin get word and scramble to go see her, but they’re told that Secretary Eun is taking care of it. No! Not Cruella de Eun!

He tells Hang-ah that North Korea has sent the order for her to return, and she says she was going to stick it out, but if Jae-ha has turned his back on her, then…

It does put a damper on the whole I-will-forsake-my-country-for-love if the love feels unrequited. I say feels because I don’t think it’s one-sided, but if you’re going to let your princess bride get extradited because she hurt your feelings, well, then your feelings don’t count.

Secretary Eun asks if she knows what the position means – not her love for Jae-ha, but what it means to be queen. He tells her that if she really wants it, he’ll help her get there. Well what’s this now? Suddenly you’re her fairy godmother?

Perhaps it’s sincere, or perhaps he knew that when he posed it as such, she wouldn’t stay to serve her ambition. She says that she’s a simple girl who wanted to live happily in a simple marriage—the position, the pressure, the people, the foreign country—they all scare her. And now that the king has turned away… (her voice trails off). All this solidifies the fact that the only reason she was ever here was for love, not that this is a surprise to anyone.

Jae-ha walks through the new memorial hall built in Jae-kang’s honor, lingering on the pictures of hyung. The prime minister is at his side, and he gets the report that Hang-ah is headed back North, and asks gingerly if he broke the engagement.

Jae-ha counters that they were never engaged, but when the prime minister suggests adding an official South Korean extradition order for her (to save face with the North), Jae-ha shoots him down with a glare.

He moves down the wall of pictures, and stops at the one of Hang-ah, smiling back at him.

She prepares to leave the palace, and Jae-shin meets her at the front door. Hang-ah tells her that she said something to Jae-ha once, that there’s nothing people can’t do, if their hearts are in it. “But it turns out that’s not true.” Aw, her broken spirit is the saddest loss of all.

Jae-shin tells her that it’s because it’s people—nothing can ever be done perfectly. “Please come back. When North-South relations are better. Please come back.” But Hang-ah has no intention of ever returning: “I’m sorry.”

She rides away, and the queen mother watches somberly from her window.

Jae-ha sighs to see engagement banners being stripped from buildings, and returns to the palace with heavy steps. He goes to see Mom, who’s silently burning up with rage, though on the outside she’s calmly tending to her plants, as always.

He opens his mouth to ask if Hang-ah left okay, and Mom hurls the rag in her hand right at him. Heh. Gotta love Mom. Though I would’ve gone with the potted plant for better hulksmash effect.

She demands to know what the hell happened, and he turns away to say that Mom was right all along, about how you should never show your weaknesses to anyone. She practically mocks him, asking if Hang-ah hurt his poor wittle feelings. I love that for this conversation, she has reverted back to banmal, clearly talking to him as her childish son, not the king.

She tells him that his father used to have to pee in a bedpan, and once she joked about it and he flipped out, telling her to get botox for her wrinkly face and that this is why royals shouldn’t marry commoners. Eeesh.

Jae-ha says this is different, but Mom cuts him off, “People are like that. They’re so childish that once you start countering every word, there is no end or limit in sight. Weaknesses? Secrets? You start seeing them as ways to inflict pain and grab them at any chance. You forget WHY you were fighting in the first place, and can only think of how you can inflict the most pain, scar the deepest.”

Gee, sound like anyone you know?

She says that the one line you do not cross is “Let’s break up.” There’s no going back from that. She says that if it was Hang-ah who crossed that line, then fine, she can’t forgive her either. But if it was Jae-ha…

He starts to give an excuse and she literally rolls her eyes to realize he was the one who said it first. “You really are trash!” OH. Damn. Mom doesn’t mince words, that’s for sure. And how much do I love that the smackdown is so immediate, and comes from her?

He looks back at her with a pained expression, and her eyes grow even bigger to realize that was the phrase Hang-ah must’ve said to piss him off. Her expression kills me, as if his girlfriend stole his favorite Mr. Bear so he pulled her pigtails and came to tattle on her.

Mom: “The whole WORLD knows you’re trash!” Pwahahaha. Her perspective is making their argument seem so silly. She says “trash” over and over and over, saying that he’s worse than trash from leftover food that leaks a trail of soup wherever it goes, and he’s like, “Mooooo~m!”

She’s on fire, screaming at him now, wondering how bad it must’ve gotten for Hang-ah to have even said those things. Didn’t he see what she said at the hearing? He looks back at her blankly and asks what she said. Another eyeroll. She tells him to watch for himself.

Oh, I sense a massive tsunami of regret headed this way…

He sits down in his room and watches the rest of the hearing, which he skipped out on the first time to go yell at the prime minister. When they ask Hang-ah about what she considers her national identity to be, she had answered more obliquely, about her relationship with the king.

She says that they fight a lot. And in the beginning, he even told her she wasn’t a woman in his eyes. She says she must have a taste for what they in the South call “bad boys.” Girl, that’s an international affliction.

But she continues to say that they bicker and they butt heads, but they’ve deepened their affection for each other as well, and now she thinks she can guess what crazy thing he’ll say next, and sometimes she even looks forward to what new tantrum he’ll throw. Ha. And aw.

She says that her heart races. And though sometimes her feelings get hurt, and sometimes she feels like she likes him more so that hurts her pride, “But, so what? Just the fact that he’s there, makes me very happy.”

He watches with tears in his eyes. Those had better be tears of oh-shit-I-fucked-it-up-real-good, otherwise you don’t get to cry.

While all this is happening, Hang-ah arrives at the crossing point, and then the royal aide tells her that she needs to leave all her princess wear behind. Augh, it’s not heartbreaking enough to send her away, but you’re making her strip off every last remnant of clothing?

She sits quietly alone in a room, and begins to de-cinderellafy, piece by piece.

She finally gets ready to cross back over the border, wearing the same hanbok she wore when she arrived. Dad is waiting for her on the other side, and once she rounds the corner out of view, she collapses on his shoulder in the most sorrowful wails.

Oof these tears are heartbreaking. It’s her first real chance to break down, now that she can lean on Dad.

As she cries, we hear the rest of her answer at the hearing in voiceover: “My identity? You’re asking who I really am? I’m just a woman who kept a man deep in her heart.”

Jae-ha sits in his office, mindlessly trying to crack hyung’s password, this time with a string of all the foods he can think of. Really? You think Jae-kang’s password might be “hamburger”? Jae-shin comes by with her pet parrot, who calls him “Comrade Lee Jae-ha” on sight. Ha. Did the bird spend time with Hang-ah?

He snaps at her to get rid of the bird, and she just smiles to know it ruffled his feathers. Now that she’s up to speed on what really happened, she lays into him for being so petty and unpredictable, “So different from someone, who was always the same.” Ouch, I know he screwed up, but comparing him to Big Oppa is mean.

He growls back at her that she’s right—he IS trash, and he knows it’s all his fault. He says he secretly hoped someone would stop him, but both North and South rushed her away at a moment’s notice. “I want to argue that I was swayed, but I know it’s my fault.”

But he asks what he’s supposed to do about it. She reminds him that he’s the king. He scoffs that the king might as well be a barking dog, since clearly all that blustering he did got him nowhere, and the truth about the North and the assassination stayed buried. “What strength does this country’s king have?”

He says that even if he brought Hang-ah back, the situation is exactly the same as before. What he has to do is find who’s responsible first. He sits back down at the computer, saying that makes this priority number one.

Well at least he’s thinking of what he needs to do to bring her back. But Jae-shin cries foul, “And when will that be? Will you bring unni back when she’s a grandma?!” And while we’re at it, would it kill you to at least clear up how you feel about her before you go crusading for the truth?

He fixates on the password all night long, until he’s lying on the floor like a carcass. I sort of enjoy the rhythm of the phrase-beep-rejection-from-password-lady over and over. It’s the perfect metaphor for his state of being, and also his bullheaded one-track mind.

It doesn’t help matters that his day gets filled with a meaningless exercise in publicity, shooting reaction shots for a soccer match that has yet to occur. This cracks me up, and now I’m curious if anything public figures do is real.

Jae-ha barely sleepwalks through the thing, but then something the director says triggers a memory—of a specific moment in a world cup match that he watched with hyung.

Yay, flashback! The brothers were kicking and screaming and flailing around in front of the tv, watching the game with their matching red shirts like a couple of regular guys.

Jae-ha had been his usual pessimistic self, but hyung was always the optimistic one, saying that their team would recover. He cheered at the top of his lungs – you know the one, the sing-song, “Repub-lic of Kor-ea!” Clap-clap-clap-clap-clap!

Suddenly he stands up, jerked back to reality. He goes straight to his computer to try that as the password. He chants, “Repub-lic of Kor-ea!” Nope. But then it occurs to him to try it again, this time the whole cheer, complete with clapping.

Presto! Open sesame. He beams, and then in the same breath, he sighs at hyung’s insistence on adding the friggin’ clap-clapping. So uncool.

He clicks on the first recording (I LOVE that we get more of Lee Sung-min this way) and Jae-kang addresses their father with a shaky voice, saying he didn’t know he’d have to sit in this seat so soon. Aw, I hope it helps him to see that hyung was just as scared when he started.

He sits back and watches a few entries, a drunk and happy one from the day that he entered the WOC, wishing that Dad was around to see it. In another he’s sad and defeated, from the time that Jae-ha had screwed things up in training.

He lets off some steam about Little Bro, and how he caused an international incident over a girl group, and Jae-ha clicks quickly to the next entry. Aw, is it like you’re still getting yelled at?

But in the next one he’s cheering with his fists in the air, that Jae-ha came through and completed the 60km course, calling him dependable. Aw, the smile on both brothers’ faces!

Jae-kang beams and teeters towards the camera (how hilarious is it that he’s almost always drunk in these?) and says all that’s left now is to find Jae-ha a wife, and shows Dad the finalists’ pictures.

He says Hang-ah is his first choice, but guesses that it’ll be hard to make that happen, and Jae-ha watches the moment with a bittersweet smile.

But then his ears perk up at the first mention in the recordings of Club M. Jae-kang brings them up in reference to the difficult union between Jae-ha and Hang-ah, saying that “Club M won’t be happy.”

He finds another where hyung is asking father what he’s supposed to do when someone is standing in the way of what he set out to accomplish, and talks about the bombing, and Bong-gu’s outright threats that he’s the true king.

“I think he’d kill me.” And then shaking, “I can’t… be scared… right?”

Jae-ha flashes back to his encounter with Bong-gu/John Meyer, the warnings from Hang-ah’s father, and he grows horrified to see his hyung trembling in fear. Yay for cracked passwords and forward plot movement.

Secretary Eun enters a secure library of records, where he finds Jae-ha camped out and knee-deep in research. Gotta love a prince who does his homework. Jae-ha rattles off deals with Club M and asks for confirmation of what he’s already figured out—that they’re an international conglomerate that makes money by lobbying and making backdoor deals, and in particular (as most arms dealers do) gains via warfare and strife, say that between North and South Korea, for instance.

Jae-ha asks about John Meyer, and the likelihood that he’s responsible for Jae-kang’s murder. Secretary Eun can’t hide his startled reaction, but answers truthfully that there’s a chance. Jae-ha asks to see him, but Secretary Eun quickly adds that it’s just as likely that anyone else could be responsible.

But Jae-ha ignores him and asks about his personality, reading descriptions in the press calling him a 21st century Gollum (ha) and a magician. He asks about that, and Secretary Eun confirms that it’s literal—he likes to perform magic tricks.

Jae-ha mulls it over, and concludes that he’s got an exhibitionist complex, like he’s profiling him. Okay, that’s hot. Can you be this smart every day?

He thinks back to the meeting, and then looks down at his pen. And then it comes back—the memory of the pen stabbing, the writing on the window. It dawns on him that they are one and the same guy, and Jae-ha looks up, a smile slowly spreading across his face.

I love that moment, like yeah, I got you now. He tells Secretary Eun to call him here, promising not to do anything stupid. The old man does not like where this is headed.

Bong-gu jumps for joy at the news that Jae-ha asked to see him, guessing that he’s finally remembered the pen stabbing. The man is literally giddy. He realizes that his heart is racing, and concludes, “I must be in love with him!” Ha.

He arrives the next day via helicopter, and Secretary Eun launches into this long explanation of why he needs to sit in on this meeting for national security and blah blah, and Jae-ha’s like, yeah whatever.

Bong-gu arrives and greets Secretary Eun with a big “HA!” but he just rushes right past him, and listens in on the meeting via security feed. Bong-gu stops on his way to peek in on Jae-shin, giving her a creepy-ass wave.

He walks in to meet Jae-ha all puffed up with expectation, only Jae-ha greets him with a smile. He asks if there’s a chance that Club M is responsible for Jae-kang’s murder, citing all the reasons why they’re the most logical culprits (because they have the most to gain), but then answering his own question with, “But you just run a tiny little resort, right?”

Bong-gu: “It’s not… tiny.” HA. Jae-ha laughs that they’re all the same, and continues on this hilarious fake-nice commentary about all the accusations against Club M, like it’s ridiculous that he’d have that kind of power.

He reads a description of him as an Al Capone, looks Bong-gu up and down, and chuckles. It’s awesome. He feigns concern for his little business and suggests that he take care of every last tiny venture while he can.

Bong-gu: “I took care of Anmyundo myself.” Oh shit. The air turns to ice. He leans forward, “Your hyung… I said, I’ll take care of him, you son of a bitch.” Jae-ha freezes.

Bong-gu: “Did you like it? Were you exhilarated when I fell for your provocation?” Jae-ha’s eyes widen in terror. He says he fell for it knowingly, why? “Because the puppet king of a tiny country is no match for someone as great as me.” Eeep!

He says that sure, the WOC, the North-South marriage scheme, they were annoyances, but that’s not the reason he killed Jae-kang. He proceeds to explain very calmly that he killed Jae-kang because he dared to ban his entry into the country. Whoa.

“You know he went without knowing anything, right? Like a fool.” Okay, you have finally succeeded in creeping me out in a sufficiently threatening manner.

Jae-ha can barely hold in his horror and fear. His hands tremble, as Bong-gu laughs in his face. Secretary Eun makes a mad dash toward the room.

And then… Jae-ha laughs. Oh NICE. “Are you high?” Ha. Way to pull it together. He coos that one oughtn’t tell such lies.

Bong-gu laughs at first, telling him to stop blustering. But Jae-ha holds his ground, saying that he must be mad at him or something, for not remembering him from before. He says he can’t remember any stabbing, but he does vaguely remember someone writing something…

Bong-gu totally gets reeled in, nodding as he urges Jae-ha to recall. He helps him along, saying it was a frosted window. Jae-ha mimics the motion with his finger, “I… am… Tom? Jane? No, that’s not it…” Hahahaha.

Bong-gu actually mouths king, and Jae-ha continues, “But your name is John, right? Or no… It’s Bong-gu. That’s your Korean name, right? Kim. Bong. Gu.” It’s the perfect way to cut him down to size, because you can read it on his face, how he hates that common, nobody name.

Jae-ha laughs, “That’s right, it was: I am Bong-gu!” Bong-gu SCREEEEAMS just as Secretary Eun barges in, and Jae-ha coolly gets up to say that he’ll definitely remember him from now on, “Kim Bong-gu-sshi.” So. Awesome. He leaves Bong-gu fuming impotently.

But the second he reaches his inner office, Jae-ha grabs the phone and calls Shi-kyung trembling, “In the lobby, you’ll find a whack job. Catch that bastard. Right now. Capture him immediately and cut his throat. Or TEAR HIS LIMBS APART UNTIL HE DIES!” Oh shit. That terrified me.

Shi-kyung and Dong-ha go tearing into the lobby and find Bong-gu being dragged away to his helicopter, screaming at the top of his lungs that they’re all dead. Aaaaaaaa my heart won’t stop pounding.

Secretary Eun calls Shi-kyung to tell him to stay out of it and do nothing. Jae-ha says he heard him admit it—that he killed Jae-kang. He asks Secretary Eun to bear witness to that fact. But the old man reminds him that he is the king.

Jae-ha, still shaking: “Who says I’m not? The person he killed was a king too—the king of the Republic of Korea.”

Secretary Eun asks if he’s going to run off on a personal vendetta, when he has no strength to do anything. He lays out the obvious consequences of attacking Club M with nothing but a confession.

It’s heartbreaking the way he looks up at Secretary Eun with those entreating eyes, wanting to catch his brother’s killer, while the man tells him why that’s not within his power to do. He even adds that they took contributions from Club M, though unwittingly. LIAR. Well, yunno, liar about most things, so that’s relative, but dude, you totally knew when you took that money!

Secretary Eun: “There is no justice in this world. Only power. Money.” Urg. Jae-kang is rolling over in his grave, old man. Damn.

Shi-kyung comes by looking for them, and overhears this next part: Jae-ha asks if they’re supposed to do nothing then, and Secretary Eun says the only road to true revenge is to follow through on the things that Jae-kang started that pissed off Club M in the first place: the WOC and the North-South marriage.

But that’s all water under the bridge now. Secretary Eun says that when he’s prepared to actually do something real, he knows where to find him. Shi-kyung is waiting outside the door, and asks Dad what Club M is.

Dad marches into his office without another word, and calls to upgrade security clearance three levels higher for royal archives, just enough that Shi-kyung has access to nothing. Wow, with him standing right there?

Shi-kyung just barrels right through, asking if Club M is responsible for the king’s murder. But Dad barks back, calling him by rank, and tells him to follow orders like a good little soldier.

Shi-kyung fires back that Dad is the one who told him that a good soldier does more than just blindly follow orders (it’s like he can’t compute how a person could say one thing and do another), and Dad says he’s the one who didn’t want to be more because he “didn’t have the ability to.”

Shi-kyung: “Is that why you’re disregarding the king? Because he lacks ability? The king just has different methods than you, father.” Dad says he’s seen Jae-ha grow up and knows exactly what he’s made of.

But Shi-kyung is just as sure that Jae-ha is made of tougher stuff, because he trained with him, and has seen his character. I love that he’s defending him so vehemently.

Dad doesn’t budge, belittling Shi-kyung for thinking he knows anything of true danger, or real character. He says he’s seeing what he wants to believe, because he’s always been that way—trust someone, trust them to the end. Yes, one would call that loyal. You should look it up.

This time Shi-kyung doesn’t back down, and argues that Dad’s the same—once he makes a judgment, he believes it till the end. I’m so glad someone said it, but it breaks my heart that it had to be your upright son.

He leaves Dad with a bow and finds Jae-ha in the memorial hall, looking up at hyung’s portrait. Jae-ha wonders to himself in voiceover, “Hyung, do I really have no ability?”

Shi-kyung watches him from afar, and Jae-ha asks if he’s here to tell him that he’s pathetic too, like a father-son combo pack. But Shi-kyung just approaches solemnly, and says with conviction:

Shi-kyung: You don’t need to be swayed by the words of others. Believe in yourself. You are already strong. The king that I’ve seen is very sensitive, and hates sincerity. But he knows the real world only too well, and has deep scars, which keeps him from leaping out ahead. So he wears a mask of laughter. I’m asking you to take off that mask now. Though you have complexes and people perceive you as weak, your highness is, to me, the most powerful king in the world. Please be fearless, your majesty.

He clicks his heels at attention, and bows at the waist. Proper chills, Eun Shi-kyung. You give me goosebumps.

Jae-ha stands there in shock, moved, but not sure how to react, and he slowly turns back toward hyung’s portrait to speak, as if addressing the sincerity directly is impossible for him. “Hyung, why’s he like this? I think he’s lost his mind.”

But Shi-kyung doesn’t move. He stands there, staring right at Jae-ha’s back, as if to say I’m not going to let you joke this away.

Meanwhile Secretary Eun begins to document what he knows about Jae-kang’s death, and writes an account of his meeting with the lobbyist that ended in his coincidental suggestion of Anmyundo as a place to vacation. But apparently the man has a conscience somewhere in there (a teeny, tiny, itty bitty kernel of one) because he goes back and erases “coincidentally.” Oh, YOU THINK?

Bong-gu calls, furious that his mole is being so useless and not keeping his king in line. He calls Eun Kyu-tae out on his delusions of sincerity and honor, laughing that actually, he’s much more useful with that one percent sincerity that keeps him thinking he’s on the side of right. It’s disturbing when the madman makes sense.

Jae-ha pours Shi-kyung a drink in the greenhouse, and Shi-kyung just sits there, not knowing what to do. Jae-ha tells him to drink comfortably, looking down in embarrassment… “Let’s be friends.”

SQUEE. Please invent a secret handshake. Please invent a secret handshake. I always knew you were meant to be BFFs!

He reaches out his glass to cheers, only that’s when Shi-kyung pulls his away, to turn and drink like a subordinate is supposed to. Aw. Jae-ha scoffs that he’s frustrating, just like he always used to say about hyung.

Shi-kyung asks right away about Club M, and Jae-ha tells him to begin investigating them down to every last detail. He says their code word for it will be: Bong-gu. Hee. Code word.

Shi-kyung asks him to be a little understanding of his father, and to his credit, Jae-ha needs no convincing on the matter. He smiles and says that Secretary Eun is super old-school, but he’s been serving this nation’s monarchs for thirty years. He knows that ajusshi is loyal and a pure-hearted person.

Now I’m heartbroken for the BOTH of you, who have faith in the old man. For now Shi-kyung smiles in gratitude. Jae-ha asks, “What should I do about Hang-ah?”

Apparently they try to call, but her father refuses to answer. He goes to meet her outside, where she’s returning from a walk with the bastard who fake-proposed to her. She complains of a stomachache, deciding it must be cramps, babbling on about how she’s a little late. Oh noes.

Dad drives her home, sweet-talking her into dating the guy, and she snaps that he’s just trying to hurry and marry her off because of what people think. He doesn’t deny that it looks bad, but tells her that there was no official engagement, so to just think of her sojourn to the South as a blip and nothing more. She starts to say that she’ll just… but trails off.

Shi-kyung is busy investigating Club M when Dong-ha calls with an emergency. Jae-shin is at the hospital for a checkup, but word got out and the exits are lined with reporters.

She grabs the phone and barks at Shi-kyung to get his ass down here and sneak her out undetected right this instant. He races down there, and deploys two teams of decoys, and then he and Dong-ha drive her out in an ambulance.

Meanwhile Hang-ah’s condition worsens, and she can barely stand from the pain. She falls the ground just trying to take some painkillers, and calls Dad in a panic.

Jae-shin’s ambulance picks up a tail, and they end up in a blocked intersection because of an accident up ahead. Dong-ha and Shi-kyung get out to try and clear the road, and Shi-kyung promises the nervous Jae-shin that he’ll be right back.

But once she’s alone, someone comes up behind the ambulance. Jae-shin turns back, and there’s the assassin, looking in the window right back at her.

The doctor comes out to tell Hang-ah’s father that they tried, but they’re sorry, they couldn’t save the baby. His jaw drops, “Baby?” Oof. She lost it before she even knew?

Jae-ha massages Mom’s shoulders as they watch a drama, and she asks if he knows why the man onscreen ended up handicapped. “It’s because he abandoned his wife.” Ha. Is that going to be her answer for everything?

But Secretary Eun interrupts to change the channel. And there it is, breaking international news: Hang-ah’s miscarriage, and King Lee Jae-ha’s irresponsibility as the father.

Oh. Shit.

Mom turns back, confused, “Baby? But you had separate rooms.” Jae-ha stares in shock as the news finally sinks in.

 
COMMENTS

There’s nothing worse than that—finding out you were pregnant the day you lose the baby? AUGH. And the fact that they’re apart when it happens? Is there even a way to recover from that? Wow, I know I said this show pulls no punches before, but this is hardcore. It really is rock bottom at the halfway point. I feel gutted.

Once Hang-ah really did leave to go back to the North, it did occur to me that they might use a pregnancy to reconnect them (which I dreaded), but losing the baby this way, alone, I did not expect. And then the immediate public backlash? I mean, how do you ever shed the entire world thinking you’re the bastard who abandoned your fiancée and your child? I know he didn’t know, but there’s no leniency of public opinion on that.

And just when he met his first real challenge as king, and began to believe in something. It seriously filled my heart when Shi-kyung pledged his loyalty to Jae-ha, not simply out of duty or honor, but a deep belief in his character. The only thing that could ever break through Jae-ha’s incessant jokey façade is someone like Shi-kyung, who is so earnest that all that stuff just goes right over his head. It’s like they’re made for each other.

What really moves me is that every character has a hand in shaping Jae-ha into a king. It’s the it-takes-a-village mentality, like a community project to turn a boy into a man, only on a much grander scale. More like it takes a country to make a king. And it’s not just one incident, or one relationship that flips a switch. He grows inch by inch, one tough love speech at a time, whether it’s a smackdown from Mom or a heartfelt pledge from a soldier who believes in him with every fiber of his being.

Even at his best, Jae-ha will never believe in himself as much as Shi-kyung does, but that’s why he’s needed, and why a leader is only as strong as his most faithful soldier. I just love their relationship So. Much. I miss Jae-ha’s brotherly affection with Jae-kang, but his bromance with Shi-kyung is a nice substitute, especially because he is cut from that same mold as hyung. It drives Jae-ha crazy but it’s what he ultimately needs in his life.

Though this episode spent very little time with the couple, I liked the ramping up of villain conflict (he’s SO much more interesting when you put him in a room with Jae-ha), and the crucial development of Jae-ha as a leader. I know there’s only going up from here, but damn, little did I know rock bottom could be so low. Hold me.

 
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i'm crying the whole ti,e i'm reading the recap. now what will i do with my puffy eyes? i have meeting in the afternoon, hahaha

thanks so much for the wonderful recap, GF. =)

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yay to Earnest Bot!

But man, how can they turn things around? ahhhhh. can't wait for the next epi. Thanks GF!

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Thank you very much! Such good recaps always!

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Shi Kyung is getting all awesome by day. And I fear that spoiler I read is true. I hope not. Because I won't be able to forgive the writer.

Well, now, poor HA!

and poor Jae Shin! People forgot she is face to face to her almost killer? And she can't defend herself. Oh Shit.

And JH, I hope SK gets ashamed of a king like you and like someone on soompi said, hope this makes SK stays in HA's side... hohohohohohoho

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the last pict shoot i've seen, shi kyung still around, I hope THAT spoiler isnt happen, really!

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You too, gf? I don't know how many I rewound that part JUST to see Shi Kyung click his heels. Freakin Awesome!!!!

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Now that we have the He-man we're clueless about women club. They have a password (code name). They really DO need a secret hand shake! :)

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Thank you,GF! This episode is AWESOME!

Loved the Mom and Jae Shin sticking up for Hang Ah.

Loved the dialouge between Jae Ha and Mom. It is so relatable even in real life. You inflict pain and doing tit for tat thinking that you've won.

Loved the scene with Bongo shii and Jae Hae and his counter attack. bwahhahahaha! It made Bongosshi irate even more.

Ohhh, when Hang Ah finally came home and cried on her abuji's shoulder. :)

MISCARRIAGE?! Not even knowing she was pregnant in the first place and all the things she's gone through. :)

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Sorry that was supposed to be a SAD FACE!

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the akward moment when you mean to put a sad face emoticon...

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OMG! I am dying here.
That is the type of thing I do all over the place!

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My most fav. part was Eun Shi Kyung's loyalty! Gahhh! Such a bromance scene!

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I swear to God, if they do anything to harm Shi Kyung, I will personally go to South Korea and bitchslap the writers. Please, please writer-nim, please don't make our Earnest Bot a sacrificial lamb. That will be so devastating, I don't know if I can take it.

Seriously, I am now at the point of no return. I am way too emotionally involved in this drama that I care about the characters like they are real people. I fear for everyone's lives -- Shi Kyung, Jae Shin, Jae Ha...all of them. Because with a megalomanic villain like Bong Gu, ANYTHING can happen. I read the spoiler about the miscarriage and thought ah, there is no way they will go that route, that is just the worst. But they did. And so its all fair game from here. Damn.

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They can't do that can they? Coz he is supposed to be paired with the princess, and a friend to the King. But if he is killed because of our crazy assed villain I can see the evil secretary going over to the King's side to avenge his son's death....I can totally see them killing our Ernest Bot off for that, But if something like that does happen there is gonna be a lot of ppl heart broken and looking for blood.
But if its done the write way it could bring up the rating of the drama, If that is what the writers want ( and i am sure they want that)

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I think it was already expected that this drama is not catering to the public on popularity by the people involved due to the daring script. Maybe that is why some top actors rejected the role of Jae Ha when it is such a well written meaty role. So I do not see the writer changing what was originally intended.

Anyway they sold off all advertising slots, so the only problem is with netizens and press having a field day using ratings to put down the show and the cast.

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Omg, I was thinking the same thing too! We know that NK and SK is a touchy subject. That's probably why some of the actors refused the role. That makes me love Ha Jiwon and Lee Seung Gi even more. In a way, they weren't afraid to tackle the issue/ratings.

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if they really aren't catering to the public then the writers could kill Ernest bot off.. but i don't want that. I am not saying coz i love him but coz it will be to much like our prosecutor love in city hunter. After that show killing off people like Ernest bot darling, well isn't that much of a shocker.
What I want is the bantering friendship during the training of the WOC back.. How cool would it be if they were Hang Ah's bodyguard, after our Trashy King goes down his knees and begs her to come back, in South Korea.

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I totally agree. Killing off Earnest Bot is too predictable. And now that you said it, his character does remind me of the prosecutor in City Hunter. I really really want more of the bromance. And yes, bring on the rest of the WOC team. Comrade lover of SNSD (forgot his name) will not hesitate to kick Jae Ha's ass that's for sure..but only to teach him a lesson or two and then they will kiss and make up, putting all of their heads together so they can defeat crazy Bong Gu.

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@lena
the 6 of them would make a great couple.. If they want to go for tragedy they could kill of the kind and Hang Ah and let Jae Shin rule like in Goong, but that's too tragic and i don't think that they are going for it.
I don't want any one do die. What i want is for all the pregnancy stuff and the fight to be planned by the lovers so bring the killers down. Make the evil guys believe that they are winning and the make a move eradicating all evil! That way hang Ah can come back to the palace and show her assassin and soldierly skills. Plus we would get a Queen who literary kick ass to protect the King , the royal family, the plans of unification and both Korea. Then surely ppl will stop harping on the fact that she is North Korean, n see her as the kick ass person she really is.

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Hi Everyone!
I am here to burst bubbles and send fear to you!
(Shakespeare Spoilers)
What IF, this is a true Romeo and Juliet and they BOTH DIE!!!! ARARAGAFAERGAGAHGFH!

Wouldn't that suck?

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If the writers did something like that, then they wold probably one of the most hated writers, but writers everyone would agree who have the b@((s of steel!
But if they DO follow that line hope they die for something good and not how Rome and Juliet died due to faulty timing.

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i came here because i know this episode will be awesome
cant wait the subtitle ... love this drama

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the subs r up @ viki

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your recaps are like drugs. thanks !

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Yup! It's like the pill for my pain!

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Third!

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fourth

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A miscarriage? Eh?

Moving on... what got my heart pumping this time around is no other than Shi-kyung! This loyal beau is not just some supporting character with a dismissive story line, and don't you just love the Shi-kyung/Jae Shin pairing? *squeal*

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Thank you girlfriday, your recaps never cease to amaze with it's details and insights. Such a wonderful read to compliment my watching of such a good drama.

The scene between Bong Gu (yah no more calling him John Meyer or villain, he is I Am Bong Gu) and Jae Ha was so spine tinglingly good.

This show feels arthousy and unlike something catered for the mases, but until pregnancy came and I am reminded that I am in Kdramaland.

I am surprised too that the writer made the miscarriage so immediate instead of using it as a trope to up the revenge factor. But well that keeps us viewers on the toes too on what is gonna happen next.

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thanks GF for your recap and hard work...Jae Ha next i'll shoot ya if you keep Hang Ah away.Wake up dude.u already kill your baby.And Princess Jae Shin i hope she's have back her memory....TK2H...aja!!!aja!!aja!!

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Wow this episode was just amazing. I knew Bong Gu would be the best villain ever. I love all his scenes just because he's a crazy goof with a killer punchline. It's the crazy that I love.

The whole miscarriage was a shocker. I really didn't see that coming, least of all a pregnancy! It's a horrible thing and I know they will give the situation a realistic bent the same that they gave for Jae Shin in her situation. It's what I respect so much about this drama. They don't sugarcoat anything. They don't settle things easily. Nothing is solved with a neat bow. I think this will break Hang Ah and Jae Ha will realize he'll have to be that much stronger for her. It's a nice reversal and it's another thing to mold Jae Ha into the man/king he'll be.

I think it was a huge mistake for Shi Kyung to even think that leaving Jae Shin alone would be a good idea. That's like breaking the first code of body-guarding. This will haunt him. But I have a feeling Jae Shin will not be so easily disposed. She is pissed and that anger makes her lethal. Bye Bye ASSassin.

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Can see the girls ( Jae shin and hang Ah) teaming up and kicking ass after Jae shin gains her memory and/ or Hang Ah comes back to south Korea which ever comes first!

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Oh noooooooooo! She lost the baby. Early miscarriage usually means the foetus in not good. Perhaps because it was a blighted ovum. Maybe it is a metaphor that they (JH and HA) are not ready yet to became marriage couple.
Whyyyyy, it takes seven day a week!

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I fell in love with Shi Kyung in this episode. he really is the hero. I'm so thankful of what he said to Jae Ha. He's the most awesome royal guard in the whole world. I can't believe that he's actually the son of Cruella de Eun. because really, they're COMPLETELY different.

I really like how Jae Ha hid his fear and laugh at that creeper Bong Gu. It's like he's showing Bong Gu that he's the king now, and he won't let that Bong Gu controls him and make him scared. I LOVE it.. Well although it doesn't stop Bong Gu for being a bastard (and probably will cause him planning for something worse) I can't help but smile when Bong Gu got angry. TBH, it feels good to see him angry! But he's still crazy scary though.

And don't you just love the royal mommy? She's the most awesome mother in law from every K-drama I've watched.

And for the miscarriage, I expected Hang Ah to be pregnant, but miscarriage? Sigh. I thought separating them with all the misunderstanding was cruel enough, Show. And now you make her lost her baby when she didn't even know she has one?

I really can't wait for the next episode!! Sigh another week days to go.....

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totally with you on everything.

i just love the way jae ha handled it -- laughing back at him.
makes me think back to whether or not our previous king would have handled it the same way.. hmm..
How the heck does shi kyung have even a drop of blood from cruella de eun? welps, he must have been raised by his mother.
The mommy is one of my favorite k-drama mommys, and probably because she's not the typical dramatic mother-in-law. Which is at times, more realistic when that card is played too often in dramaland.
The pregnancy/miscarriage all came as a surprise to me! i had no idea.

5 more days T_T

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I think that, for all his gifts, the previous king was much less confrontational than Jae-ha. Not that he was a wimp by any stretch of the imagination, but his ruling style seemed more of a blend of idealism and optimism/peacemaking. I think Jae-ha is/will be a much more badass king in that he'll fight as hard as he needs to for justice. He's more of a cynic, and that could help him really give the magician a run for his money.

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I think this is why i'm gonna really love our Jae Ha.

HUZZAH TO OUR BADASS KING

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it'll be difficult to recover from that miscarriage

really hope these two get a happy ending!

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Wooo woo, I can't wait till the next episode:( Thank you for the recap GF~

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phwoooaaaar!!!!! best episode/recap evverrrrrrr <3 <3 <3 THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I read the recaps everywhere today, and i feel heavy..as GF said, this drama hit the rock bottom, and i'm feeling afraid to watch it again. plus, the rating is dropping (again?? Oi, SK viewers, what's going on??)

But reading GF recaps made me excited and know that this episode is full of awesomeness and I just can't let this drama down. Need to grip hold of my self and believe this drama.

Anyone here miss Jae Kang too as much as I do? I'm chuckling and teary eyed reading (not watching yet) the scene when he is in flash back, and when GF tell us that both brother smiling, me also the same.

I miss Jae kang til the core, and how he treat his dongsaeng, both as spoiled older brother and also as someone hoping for their maturity

Can't we have Lee Sung Min more??

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I do! But I'm hoping that we'll be seeing him throughout the series through "recalls" since the title is K2H? Or is the 2 hearts that of the king and queen's?

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The title King 2 Hearts always refered to our main, Jae Ha. He was always going to be the main king.
But we'll probably be seeing some of him in either flashbacks, or in the recordings (yay!)

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WOW! What an episode! Reeling. Still.

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In this episode realy love the queen, princess dan Eun Shi Kyung!

Prince Jae Ha, please be more smart on rest of episodes just like on this..and go find Hang Ah to give her a hug, hurry!

thank you so much girl friday! have a nice friday ^^

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No wonder pure-simple hearted Hang AH had a miscarriage ! She was drowning in a cesspool of Stress & Shit ! I was blown outta my chair when Jae ha , instead of trying to sooth the frightened feathers of his lovebird , just whacked her ( & me ) right between the eyes!! What with a " Get outta my country " & shockingly followed that up with directives to escort her out pronto. WHat DECENT LOVER /MAN DOES THAT to a person you hv strong affections for & just defended ?? He's like a bomb that just detonated in her face ! Miscarriage & other traumas were Must haves .
I Soooo pity her !!! HUGSSSS.

And if I were her mum ..Well, Hell wd not know the fury of a mother whose baby's been so badly scorned & scorched!! I'd throttle him silly & then seat & wait for whatever. Good thing there's only a sweetie pie daddy that only throws storms in a teacup.

Jae Ha!!! You had better stage some mother of a comeback with poor broken-hearted Hang Ah !! Grrrr.
You gotta win her back plus convince us , you're not just a rich kingly chaebol wt a trigger-happy arm to throw your poor fiancee to to emotional Hell for any helluva reason!

Bongo Whacko needs to have major retribution !You cant stick him in a prison.He'd get out. Sorry Bong , you gotta DIE .
Eun ...Eun ..is just killin' me..! He shd retire. Jae Ha's better off without him. Unless , he makes a shock turnaround & reveal some angel wings & a halo under that 2-toned hair ...that all along he hd some master plan & all's been done to protect d royals etc

I read somewhere , that epi 11-13 is NO bed of roses either... I'm hoping that its not true .
I need to see some redeeming actions from JH & some grovelling ( or not) and LOVE to flow over to Hang Ah . Please ! I wanna stop grinding my teeth over this!

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OMG... I died reading your awhhhsummm comment!!!!!!

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OMG I FREAKIN' LOVED THIS EPISODE!! SO INTENSE!! So much character growth for so many characters! The. Best. AHHH why isn't it Wedensday already!! Thankyou so much for the recap <3

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ok, seriously, i was in tears when they said baby. maybe because it hits close to home, but with all the differences they are going through right now, i really don't see a way they can come back from this. the only way i see this happening, is if he goes to the North. that's right ladies and gentlemen. The ONLY WAY they can logically come back from this is for him, The King of the South, to go to the North and repent for his sins. 10 eps down, 10 to go. so lets review: in 10 episodes, they have managed to:
1. Kill the king
2. make his secretary
3. handicap the princess
4. have North and South Korea be on civil terms
5. get the prince to become a king
6. have them have sex with each other
7. get her pregnant, but then kill the baby before she found out.

and that's all in 10 episodes ladies and gents. so i can only imagine what the next ten episodes are going to be. aigoo. i'm seriously needing this drama to start recovering soon. i can't take another week of heart ache. my heart can't take it.

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You are spot on. There are filming shots of them on a train cruise, and the set up seems to be that Jae Ha is on a visit to North Korea to see her.

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yey! topper, you made my day!

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keke. i saw some bts pics of them on a train, too!
excited/hopeful for their reconciliation.

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Yeah, I don't know what people complaining this drama's plot is moving slowly are smoking. Sweet jesus, I feel like I get whiplash (in a good way) every time I watch this show. So much love.

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rearwindow, my thoughts exactly.
everytime i read a comment of " it's boring, its draggy, i skip" im just like i'll be lucky if i dont pass out and lag behind before another conflict punches us in the face and gets us in the heart.
i seriously don't get where it's draggy. if anything, it's one of the fastest paced dramas out there.
they had their first kiss by end of episode 6. they had sex and now she just had a miscarriage. the king is dead and our main char is king by episode 8.
how in the world that means slow beats me.

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SERIOUSLY! I just don't get it. Is it the lack of over-the-top angst that is making some people feel like the drama is slow? Because not only do the circumstances for the characters change constantly, but these are also some of the most decisive characters I've ever encountered in a drama. They're constantly acting instead of deliberating (for better or for worse--though it sure makes for some damn riveting TV). All of the characters in this show seem to learn from their actions and from the actions of those around them, which is a welcome change (IMO) from other dramas where they frequently angst out over their situations for a good while before making a move of any kind.

I'm watching City Hunter (for the first time) in tandem with this show, and even though that is one of the faster-paced dramas I've encountered, I'm astounded at how slow the relationship b/t the characters is progressing (all of them, not just the main couple), especially compared to King 2 Hearts. In most other shows, it seems like the characters take two steps forward, one step back (or in some cases, three or four steps back), whereas in K2H, I get the sense that even when they make mistakes, the characters are always moving forward and their relationships are maturing.

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you explained how i felt and put it in words!

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"whereas in K2H, I get the sense that even when they make mistakes, the characters are always moving forward and their relationships are maturing."

^
this! totally feel the same way!

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me too... I have no normal life anymore and my Ipad is more important than my husband... CAN'T endure the painful of waiting the next episode.. I love Ha Ji Won and when I watch her, I can feel how she felt... damn this drama.. my soul is stolen by it.. what am I suppose to do now with my real life????

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LOL.
i love all the ahjummas on here that spend more time with the dramas then their hubbies :3

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Stilll working it out. A week ago I suggested that they did not sleep with one another. I was wrong.

Confession over.

The old man really did a good job of being the cold bucket of water. He has known that Club M has been a LONG time giver of money to the royal family. Going back to the of both boy's father if not even longer. He knows that M has a lot of backroom power and knows taking it on directly will leave the Royals up the creek and maybe not then have even stopped the guy.

I suggested that the old man was playing a SLOW revenge game. I still do. He wants ,I suspect, a King strong enough to get the job done. And the only ways to do it are Jae Ha getting the stones to do something and the Brains to follow it up.

It would suck big time to have him either not have the stones to do the job or the brains and skills and having Bong either get away or hit the family again.

That was why he ask Hang Ah that if she wanted to be Queen he would help. To make her the steel rod to stiffen the King's spine.

Again the LONG game is what we are seeing.

I liked the comming togethere of Shi Kyung and Jae HA. BTW he is not the kings Merlin. He is Lancealot. The old man is the Merlin. Taking the old ways to twistthings so they work out a certain way.

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hmm.... Like what you are saying bout the old man.So the assassination of the old king was like the final straw. And everything that he is doing is so that Jae ha will be a stronger king that can actually fight and win Club M. It would fit why he keeps confessing in the journal, as if like its a statement of his wrong doing, and why he told Hang Ah she needed confidence to be the Queen. It also ties in what he said to Jae Ha about not being powerful enough to kill the Crazy Locofied John Mayer because of the backlash it would being.
You know if the writers did something like this it would be totally kool!

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I kinda agree with you when it comes to Sec Eun because everything that he said so far when it comes to politics makes sense. It may sound ridiculous but he's right on point like he knows how Club M is powerful and rich enough to make damage to the Royal Family. Gosh! He was even capable of killing the previous King and he couldn't do anything about it because he fell on their trap too! Sec Eun wants Lee Jae Ha to fight the smart way and not by impulse or emotions. He still doesn't believe that Jae Ha has the capability to do anything as of now. It seems like in this episode that Sec Eun was also impressed by Hang Ah and he's now willing to help her be the queen if she thinks that she's capable of doing it.

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We know the fighting with the north has been going on for 60 years. How long has club M been working it's poisoned way in the palces of power. This could go back to their father or grandfather.

Actaully thinking back Jae Kang was only King since 2010. Only 2 years. So CLub M has been a force to deal with for a very long while.

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If Club M has been in business for 60 something years then they would be really powerful. It would be why they will have to be really careful to bring Club M down, the crazyness of the present Club M leader could actually help them. Or that crazy John Mayer could be a very formidable enemy coz you really don't knw what is going to do and why.

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I do not think 60 years but well into the King's father's reign. John's advantage is too many people have let him get away with things.

Digging out the crystal ball I could see the Korea Team winning the WOC and that being the first crack in the dam.

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@Gordon
It would be great if Korea won the WOC, but the writers seemed to have forgotten that story line. And with one of the member becoming the king what is going to happen to the team.
Wouldn't it be awesome if the six actually participate in WOC regardless of the fact that one is a King and another the Queen to be? But guess it would not happen because of the security risk.

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Your persepctive makes sense. I hope the writers have the same sense!

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I waz lke WTF!!! A baby nd Y or Y dd thy hve to kill it, I noe its stupid coz e baby ddnt really exist bt I'm alwyz sad wen ppl (on tv) hve miscarriages I don noe y.... Nd I jst wntd to give hang ah a hug its so sad..*sniff*

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this episode is the most DAEBAK! i love the twist at the end.. I'll support Hang Ah no matter what! I hope she won't forgive Jae Ha easily >.< I'm so damn pissed at the immature Jae Ha at the beginning of this episode

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i cried as much as HA cried when she went back to North and her dad...i felt her pain!

i also wanted to think that her pregnancy will lead both of them to get together..i couldn't believe that they'd actually make her lose her baby...so so sad...

and yes, thanks to SK that he seems to be replacing his hyung to keep him sane and make him believe in himself...

awesome episode...now we have to wait another week...

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random thoughts: (after marathon of RTP and K2Hearts)

* Earnest Bot ..every moment he's on screen is joy. (more please)

* John Mayer character is almost tolerable when SeungGi is lauging in his face...otherwise, the whole Club M thinghy is grating on my nerves

* Can I say how much I LOVE Hang-Ah's father?
---dude is 'the DAD'....commenting on how it doesn't matter if it's North or South...why do women always suffer?

* I would have sworn at the beginning --I was gonna hate The Tae-Bi-Mama, (dowager) but that ol'gal's got some steel bones and a sharp tongue. She's growing on me, for sure.

* I adore that the complexity and potential darkness this show brings is such a nice compliment to the giggly-frothy-ness of Rooftop Prince.....it's like having a meal with courses every Weds. and Thurs. ----tasty.

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p.s. I feel utterly cheated that *a baby was made* but the visual art of...say a few scenes...was missing.

dear writers, fix that. (thank you)

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Yeah, I feel the same way. The writers need to make it up to us viewers by having some awesome one on one scenes btw the 2 main lovers. I was still thinking, did they or didn't they and wham, baby and miscarriage in less than 5 mins at the very end of the ep. !

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I agree with you on how it rooftop prince and king2hearts is so nice to watch together as they compliment each other so well. such contrast of emotions.
and yes. i do feel cheated as well that some scenes should have been added if you know what i mean..
i trust that this show will give us a heated one in the future.. i feel it. LOL

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Although Rooftop Prince is good, I hate Se Na so much, its hard to watch!! I will have to watch something with that actress playing a different role to get over this hate!

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I blame the pain-reliever pills and all the stress... Poor baby D;

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This episode was SO GOOD...

Thanks for the awesome recap GF!

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I think I understand why the Queen Dowager was so touched/sad when Hang Ah helped Jae Shin cover up her little accident last week.

The only humor I can find in the sh*t is that Jae Ha has effectively sent Hang Ah to one of the few places on earth where being the South Korean monarch makes it more difficult for him to see her! If they ever get over this, I can just imagine each time Jae Ha and Hang Ah fights, Hang Ah will run back to her father's house while JH gets stuck at the border.

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i dont think i can hold out until next week... maybe i should bury myself in my studies again...

how could this happen??? and how could this be made public?!! how is our king gonna atone for this???!!!

CANNOT WAIT TO FIND OUT

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And how in the world will this be resolved! It will be the miracle of KDramaland, that's for sure!

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Oh my heart aches!!! I'm just speecless. I love K2H even more now.

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epic episode ever..

HA's miscarriage was totally unexpected. this is so cruel,deserve 2 thumbs up..

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brillian jb as alway can hardly wait next episone goes my bp went up:) pretty exciting...

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Ok, I know I am suppose to want the main couple to end up together in the end (thats kind of the point of a show), but they have done such a good job of making Jae Ha an ass, that I would almost be happier if Hang Ah finds a nice man in the north and settles down with him.

Hang Ah has given EVERYTHING she has (including her heart, pride, and virginity) for this relationship and all she has gotten back is tears and a miscarriage. At some point, he does not become worth it anymore, and for me he's about there.

I know I am probably in the minority about this, but that felt good to get off my chest.

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I've read the recap after watching the row episode, just to make sure I get it right.
I hate the writers for the pregnancy, the lost of the baby (or maybe she didn't lost the baby , PLEASE!)
One black ball for SK for leaving the princess alone in the car, after that long race for loosing the followers - an accident is the classic way of stopping a car. Are they stupid? (both of the bodyguards).

For the rest ... I still need time to digest.

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Somehow reading your recap after watching the episode makes everything falls together for me. I enjoy it very much, you put things into words that I couldn't do myself. This episode is amazing but it became more amazing after reading your recap. Thank you!!

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From the beginning Hang Ah has acted as the equal, if not the superior, partner to Jae Ha.

I think it's unfair to her dignity to paint her as a simple victim in the mess they find themselves in.

She was put through the grinder by the planted evidence incident. He was put through a similar one. They snapped and spat. The one mistake Jae Ha made, as his mother so wisely pointed out, was to voice the leave word. Jae Ha needs to learn the way to solve problems is by sticking to it and working it out.

But the sex part is no doubt consensual. Though we do not get to see it, yet (I still hope for flash back), com'on, these two can melt a refrigerator just by kissing in front of it, is there any question about how hot they are for each other? Thus the resultant pregnancy is no one's fault. I don't think Hang Ah herself regret it. (Remember how calm she was the morning after and how unapologetic when she apologized to Eun Sr.)

Her being such a strong woman, I think she does not play the blame game. The only question is if she still loves him. And I think we all know the answer.

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Love your perspective on this. I also love how morally complex every character, especially JH and HA, is. HA is a heroine, for sure, but she's also hotheaded and proud (much like JH, though to a lesser extreme since she wasn't raised with as much privilege as he was). JH is growing to be an incredible man, but he's still deeply flawed and is learning how to love and how to lead.

What's so brilliant about this show is that the characters do truly great things just as often as they make mistakes, but their mistakes impact the future of the nation so the stakes are CRAZY. I can totally see HA & JH's "trash" argument going down in a real-life partnership, where people overreact but the consequences of the fight would be JH going out for a walk around the block to cool off and then coming back in the morning to talk things over. But in this world, relatively trivial lovers' spats have global implications. Because they're so human, I don't hate any of the characters or find their actions unreasonable. In a lot of dramas, the fights seem contrived just to draw out the plot or push the characters apart.

Sweet jeezy, I'm so obsessed with this drama.

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AnnMichelle, thank you for putting this perspective out there.
you're right, and it should be taken into consideration that our Hang Ah is not the only victim here.
I think we should give her enough credit to say that she will be able to overcome with this. she's strong. he's strong. and they obviously both need each other in order to overcome such

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Dear @rearwindow and @ilikemangos,

So glad I am not the only one who DOES NOT see Hang Ah as a victim.

One of the reasons I like TK2H so much is that it's populated with real characters, every one of them, flesh and blood, virtues and mistakes.

And I think back about the conversation between the king and queen (tears!) about how they fought hard when they were just married. (Between the nice nice Jae Kang and his gentle gentle wife?!)

Real love is not just love at first sight. Real love is argue, fight, hurt, compromise, make up, love, and do it all over thousands of times.

This is what I call a brilliant drama.

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Damn!! I so freaking glue to this drama. I can't wait to watch next ep.

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I liked this episode much more that the previous one. It seems to me that the writers are really good when showing characters dealing with a problem/situation together with their emotions. But how they bring the problem is usually very weak (bomb in a treadmill? NK phone? Calling JH trash?).

I may be one of few who actually like the miscarriage as a plot device. I don't think that Jae Ha is responsible for the loss and I would never blame him for it. Those things happen, especially in early pregnancy. Even if the family is happily living together and everybody is healthy. But what it brings is a public declaration that their relationship was sort of serious and that Jae Ha has a responsibility for Hang Ah. And it gets political consequences, because HE is a king and SHE is a daughter of a high rank official. This is finally a conflict making sense (unlike a planted NK phone).

The best scene for me in this episode: Hang Ah crying on the shoulder of her father.

PS Although I liked this episode, I still want our team leader back. Show us some action and smart thinking, comrade Kim!!

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Such an insightful comment--I couldn't have said it better myself! Because the writers are so good at building an interesting, realistic and moving web of relationships/characters, I'm totally willing to overlook some of the plot contrivances. The writing is just brilliant when it comes to how the characters interact with one another, and that--to me--is where the real meat of the story is, anyway.

I also love the miscarriage (as a plot device! not for the hell that it's about to put our beloved characters through, but for the sake of pushing the plot and personal growth of the characters forward!).

I'm really, really looking forward to seeing where this new twist takes us.

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Totally agree with you on this being a great plot device.

Just re-watched the part where Hang Ah's father was telling her the trip south was nothing more than a palace tour. He meant to protect her and think of her future. But, without the pregnancy & miscarriage, even though Hang Ah still loves Jae Ha, the outside surrounds would make the reunion really difficult.

So glad to have so many insightful fellow TK2H sufferer to discuss stuff.

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Still one remark about Hang Ah having to return all her cloths and accessories etc. I think this was not meant against her. I guess all the items were actually the property of the kingdom and just had to be returned. I myself have had a similar problem recently when ordering some books for kids as end-school presents from some grant and then was told that the books have to stay at school, because they are actually a property of the ministry of education... bureaucracy rules everywhere...

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True that. Even gifts to officials and government in some places are considered property of the nation.

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i honestly believe it was symbolism. it was a symbol of her ridding herself of all things South-Korean. and what was even more symbolic was the fact that the clothes she changed into were the same clothes she wore right before going into the south. it was such a bitter sweet moment to watch that transition, but it spoke volumes without having to say a word. and as soon as she was back to her North Korean clothes and in front of her father, she could finally stop being strong and just be the fragile woman that she is inside. in such few episodes she has dealt with so much. Ha Ji Won deserves and award for her part. truly amazing.

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oh jeez.. that scene killed me.
the humiliation...
gotta give ha ji won props for her acting chops

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That was the best scene for me, with her voice over in public hearing telling the world that she is only a girl who kept her lover in her heart as identity. Man, that scene was so POWERFUL! Kudos to the writers!

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Yeah, was totally blubbering like a baby! The writers/director are such a tease: we saw JH get moved to tears when she said that having JH makes her happy! I wonder how'd he react to: “I am simply a woman who placed one man deeply in my heart!!” As the audience we're left with our imagination how he musta died a thousand deaths for being a petty fool for reacting irrationally and sending his love away. oof!! I was screaming, "JH, go get our girl, RIGHT.NOW!!"

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Totally loved that scene as well. Really made it tear up and my heart was totally hurting for her for what she was going through. Definitely an impactful scene.

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this scene + Bong Gu and JH's confrontation + SK's pledge of allegiance all in one episode. Is this the best drama or what?

I must confess I also loved the scene of JH in the archives room. He looked soo...ooo HOT! Brains + good looks + power = awesome combo! That slow look of realisation as he recalled the memory of the stabbing - brilliant acting.

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puahaha. i also thought he looked uber sexy in the archives room.
Like, our main guy studying hard & lookin' smart and what not?
LOVE.

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Just watched epi 9 and 10 Raw..I hate it when my eyes stray to the obvious dilapidated state of the palace wh Hang Ah stayed. You see it when King Jae Kang ws marching up wt HA's dad on d lovely nite of d fridge kiss & u see it starkly when Jae Shin says her gdbyes to HA at d outside lobby. Paint flakin' on alld walls ! Mummy Royal stays there too! So whats d excuse ? A paint job dsnt cost that much when accrued to production cost!
Attention to details is not a strong point here. This show will go worldwide , no? Tsk .

HA's orange outfit (2nd inquisition) & outfit she wore to the border were like 2 sizes too big! On the other hand ,
Jae Ha looks rockin' hot in his body-fit suits ! What ??

Come on people , make her look dishy-er !!
Ok. Sorry just needed to get details outta d way. heehee!

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The guards cabin from the gate is in a worst situation (in ep 8) you could see the old painting falling and "some" dirt :)))

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I love the show but pretty much hate HA's non military outfits. Can't they get the My Princess stylist to come onboard? I had real dress and shoe envy for the princess's wardrobe in that one :)

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Oh wow. I've never been *this* emotionally invested in reading currently aired recaps. I have to stop watching after episode 3 coz I know I'll just want more after that, and even just by reading your recaps I feel the following week couldn't come soon enough!

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Thanks Girlfriday ! it's an amazing recap! I'm loving it kyaaaaaaaaaaah can't wait for next ep.

...But lol The miscariage is sort of... off i think the characters have to deal with enough issues. Jae ha and hang ah could have made up another way. I was kind of shocked that they decide to go to that extent. I was like really?! Miscariage?! No way she must be sick and then yes that was it.... I'm looking forward to how the characters will take it, especially Jae ha.... :) TK2H fighting! :D

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I think the miscarriage was necessary - to get JH to reconcile with HA quickly. Not that he is not going to do it. But remember that when JS asked him to get HA back, he said that he would need to settle the issue of the late King's murder first. That could take a looong time. JS told him that by then HA would be an old woman.

Furthermore, after what Sec Eun told him about the futility of the matter, (even though they had recorded evidence of Bong Gu's confession to the crime), JH felt worthless and helpless. How then can he ask HA to come back to South Korea, when the people are so angry with her and there is so much prejudice?

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Can't wait for next ep!!! The pregnancy and miscarriage was really unexpected. Poor Hang Ah and Jae Ha. I don't know how they're going to take it.

I hope nothing bad happens to Jae Shin and Shi Kyung. The poor princess will be suffering from PTSD after this.

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Hoping for a best-case scenario for Jae-shin next episode, in which she stays safe but regains her memory due to the sight of the assassin!

My affection/respect for Shi-kyung just keeps growing from episode to episode. Awesome man.

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Thanks for the recap! I love this show. To be precise, i love the characters. But we have too many tears lately. 10 mins of light stuff for 55 mins of pain is not enough. I will only read the recaps for now and resume watching when it will be bearable again for me. It's a pity, cause i really love the cast, but when you start hurting that much for fiction characters, it's not healthy anymore. Thanks for the cute bird writer: I can see it's used to being with nice humans.

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But Mystisith, pain is good if we get the pay off later!

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Jomo, you know that i'm a fragile heart, and i'm at my limit. This drama is supposed to be Romance/Black comedy, and it's more heartbreaking than Padam Padam. I will let you guys cry your heart out for the next eps, and i will collect the pieces. I bet we will have a sugared happily ever after only on the last episode, like in a certain MBC drama... Sorry, I've been burnt once, i won't get fooled twice. In fact, knowing what i know now, i'm not even sure i would have started watching it. They are really lucky that i'm a die-hard Ha Ji-won's fan because let's face it, such a dark and cruel story is not my thing at all in the first place.

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