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Three Musketeers: Episode 3

Today’s episode reveals one big mystery (or at least a big corner of it), which is a big enough twist to turn a few things on their sides. I like being surprised, and especially when we get one early on in the game, because it helps me to have faith that the show will keep churning them out at regular intervals, which is infinitely preferable to the drama that just withholds its surprises until nothing’s a surprise anymore. In this episode’s case, we’re left once again dangling on fresh information and on the hook for another week till we get our curiosities appeased, which is both welcome (yay, suspense and curiosity) and maddening (argh, stupid suspense and curiosity!).

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EPISODE 3: “Secret Mission”

Dal-hyang finds himself under enemy fire after chasing Mi-ryung and her sidekick No-soo (formerly known as Eyepatch) into the mountains. Those two find safety under cover of the Manchu army commanded by Ingguldai, but that means Dal-hyang is suddenly a target, and dozens of arrows fly at him all at once.

He falls off his rearing horse but quickly somersaults behind a tree to avoid getting shot. Ingguldai commands his army after him, then looks on in puzzlement when Dal-hyang’s horse gallops on alone.

…and from the other side, we see Dal-hyang hanging onto the saddle for dear life, hidden behind his horse’s body in a tuck position. HAHA. I totally laughed out loud. In public.

Once at a safe distance, he swings up into the saddle and rides like a normal person. He slices tree branches with his sword so they’ll fall in his pursuers’ paths, and manages to outstrip them.

But his horse, which has valiantly soldiered on despite being shot with several arrows, finally collapses. Poor beast! Are all of Dal-hyang’s animals doomed? Dal-hyang has to continue on foot, all while wondering why he’s being chased in the first place.

Prince Sohyeon makes it back to the palace after the gibang encounter where he witnessed crafty politicians secretly plotting against King Injo. The worried princess, Yoon-seo, sees his hand dripping blood and tries to tend to it, but is asked to leave. She sees that Seung-po’s hand is also bloody and demands to know why, but he uncomfortably dodges the question.

Sohyeon, shell-shocked after seeing Mi-ryung, asks a eunuch how it could be possible. The eunuch had been the one to confirm that Mi-ryung had hanged herself all those years ago and looks stunned to hear it, but I’m not sure yet whether he’s genuinely surprised or acting. He explains that he had never actually seen Mi-ryung’s body after the hanging, but had been told she was already buried and took that as confirmation. Surely her father wouldn’t dare lie to the king, he muses, and ventures to suggest that Sohyeon saw wrong.

The princess tries one more time to ask what her husband has been up to, and Sohyeon gives the completely unbelievable explanation that the “blood” he’s dripping is merely red-colored liquid, and that he was playing a prank. She’s not having it, but Seung-po assures her that they’ll be seeing a doctor, so she needn’t worry.

Going to the royal doctors would blow this up into a huge fuss, and therefore Sohyeon resorts to more secrecy. His musketeer sidekicks wake up an old doctor in the middle of the night, and based on the way Sohyeon greets him, it appears they’re well acquainted. In fact, I’d bet cash money that Sohyeon’s personally responsible for some of the gray hairs on his head.

General Ingguldai’s troops finds Dal-hyang’s horse dead in the woods, but no Dal-hyang in sight. Ingguldai demands to know who’s responsible for this—is it the prince? Politician Kim Ja-jeom? Or Mi-ryung, daring to play backstabber?

Mi-ryung replies that she doesn’t know who the sudden interloper was. Ingguldai warns that if the prince dies from this encounter, her neck is on the line—because if Sohyeon were to die from being stabbed by No-soo, that could spur war.

No-soo assures her that his cut wasn’t fatal, though that’s probably more lucky than intentional, since he says that he would’ve made sure to do him in if he’d known that it was the prince. “What has this country done for us?” he disdains.

A weary Dal-hyang makes it back to his lodgings in one piece, looking half-dead. He collapses on the ground in exhaustion, but a second later he bolts upright, sensing something amiss. Is danger afoot?

So when a cheerful-looking servant knocks on his door, he has the lights scared out of him as the door swings open and Dal-hyang faces him coldly with a bow and arrow pointing right at his face. The servant, named Pan-swe (played by Lee Kyun), begs Dal-hyang to calm down and explains that he was sent by Seung-po.

Pan-swe delivers a letter as well, in which Seung-po checks that Dal-hyang is safe after last night’s escapade (and says that he was preoccupied looking after a friend who got “stabbed a little” and spent the night “crying like a girl”). In flashback, hilariously, we see that it’s actually Seung-po who’s the weepy one, worrying while the prince stoically takes his treatment.

Seung-po asks Dal-hyang to go with his servant to meet the musketeers, and so they head over to the home of their teacher, minister and diplomat Choi Myung-gil (Jeon No-min). Dal-hyang arrives at Minister Choi’s home in time to see him scolding Seung-po and Min-seo for their lapse and not protecting the prince properly, while the two musketeers receive their lecture meekly like schoolboys.

Then Sohyeon draws Dal-hyang’s attention, mock-scolding him for being partially responsible for the prince’s injury because he hadn’t protected him properly. Dal-hyang starts to defend his actions, but stops himself halfway through and recognizes that he’s making excuses. Instead he apologizes sincerely for not following through on his promise.

Sohyeon asks what happened to the two people he chased, and Dal-hyang explains that he lost them in the woods when he came upon foreign soldiers. Based on his description, Sohyeon surmises that he must have run into foreign envoys and the famous general Ingguldai.

Next, Minister Choi Myung-gil turns his scolding to the prince, who says all the right words of apology while looking completely unrepentant (which Minister Choi notes). At that point, Minister Choi notices the new arrival, and Dal-hyang introduces himself and offers up the letter his father had written—this is the distant relative he’d tried to contact his first night in the city.

Minister Choi reads the letter, and tries to place Dal-hyang’s father, tracing the convoluted lineage Dal-hyang provides (Choi’s brother-in-law’s maternal uncle’s nephew). Dal-hyang looks excited when it seems Minister Choi knows his father, but deflates when he realizes that his father doesn’t register at all, even though Minister Choi kindly pretends for his sake that he might.

In any case, Minister Choi receives Dal-hyang warmly and folds him right into the group, since he’s already privy to their secrets. So he explains that the current political situation is precarious—he senses impending war. And that would throw the government into disarray as ministers act to save their own necks, the beginnings of which we’ve already seen. He asks Dal-hyang how he plans to protect his country, now that he’s a soldier whose job is to serve it.

The three musketeers, meanwhile, discuss what they’ve seen. They correctly guess that the wily Kim Ja-jeom will flee the capital, now that the prince has identified him and his co-conspirators. Sohyeon muses that it’s no surprise that Kim Ja-jeom would be so quick to make friends with the king of Later Jin (which will become Qing in the near future), since he’s always looking for ways to benefit himself. But why would Ingguldai try to meet Kim Ja-jeom, he wonders. What would Kim be able to promise him?

The prince’s eunuch pays a visit to Mi-ryung’s father, Lord Yoon, to ask about her suicide from five years ago. What’s surprising is that Lord Yoon didn’t see her corpse directly either, because he’d been told by his servant that the sight was so terrible that he buried her right away. Lord Yoon hadn’t pressed the matter, and then more curiously, the servant hanged himself a few days afterward.

That means nobody can confirm Mi-ryung’s death, Sohyeon concludes. Convenient, that. On the other hand, he can’t be certain that the woman he saw yesterday was her without other clues to back up his hunch. Asked what he would do if she were truly alive, he doesn’t answer.

The prince returns to the palace in the early morning intending to make his morning greeting to his father, only to hear that the princess waited for him for a while before finally heading over on her own. We can see that Yoon-seo is practically trembling in fear to be doing this alone, especially since it entails lying to the king (about the prince not feeling well)—but still, she musters the courage, blinks back her tears, and presents herself at the king’s door.

At the very last second, however, Sohyeon joins her out of the blue. She’s shocked and relieved, and the tears start to spill over as she registers his arrival. He pauses to allow her to compose herself, and then they make their customary bows to King Injo. Yoon-seo and Injo both notice him favoring his arm as he bows, but he deflects it with a ready excuse.

Injo is a bit abashed at his nightmare-spurred outburst in the middle of the night, and asks his son to understand his unease. He sighs that his nerves would be somewhat allayed if the prince were to have an heir, and asks hopefully whether the royal couple has any news. Are they trying? But that simple question prompts more tears from the princess, and her emotional response baffles the king, who wonders why his words would be so upsetting.

At least Yoon-seo is reassured by the eunuch that Sohyeon wasn’t very injured and that he spent the night with his teacher.

His talk with Minister Choi puts Dal-hyang into a pensive mood the next day. He thinks over his words about war and protecting his country, then takes his place in the ceremony for new civil servants, where he’ll officially become an officer of the state. Meanwhile, four cowering officials confer in hushed voices, panicking because their secret gathering was spotted by the prince. Making them extra nervous is the fact that nobody knows where their leader, Kim Ja-jeom, went—what if the prince dies from his injury and the four ministers get blamed for it?

That’s when Sohyeon interrupts with his entourage in tow, asking them pleasantly how they passed their night, saying that he had bad dreams of traitorous plotters that ruined his sleep. He says pointedly, “I was so relieved to wake and realize that it was only a dream, and that it wasn’t real.”

Sohyeon continues on to the ceremony, while Minister Choi stays behind to have a word with the four traitors. They gulp nervously.

The princess hears the festivities from her palace quarters and is asked if she’d like to drop by. She declines, but the mention of the ceremony reminds her of being with young Dal-hyang, who had told her to come when he passed the exam, which makes her wistful but also brings a small smile to her face.

King Injo and Prince Sohyeon take their places, and the ceremony begins. Dal-hyang awaits his turn with anticipation, and when his name is called, he steps forward. Just as he does, Yoon-seo arrives and looks on with pride, and takes in the sight for a few happy moments before retreating.

In the middle of the proceedings, Sohyeon’s eunuch catches a glimpse of something unsettling and tells the prince to look over to where the families are watching. Standing in their midst, glaring fiercely right at the prince, is Mi-ryung.

Ack! She’s shooting him such an intense look that it’s unnerving, and also a little bit frightening. Sohyeon holds her gaze for long seconds and instructs the eunuch to get her. She exits and makes her way through the palace grounds, staying a step ahead of the eunuch—only to run right into Yoon-seo’s path.

Mi-ryung glares at Yoon-seo, who doesn’t know who she is and inquires politely if she’s okay. Yoon-seo doesn’t quite know what to make of her, though the encounter certainly strikes her as odd.

Dal-hyang returns to his lodgings after the ceremony, at which point he receives another visit from Pan-swe, who delivers another letter from Seung-po. He congratulates him and tells him that Pan-swe is his gift to him—included are his slave’s papers.

Pan-swe’s reaction—”Oh no, what misfortune of heaven is this?! I’m ruined!”—is a little less than flattering, and he bolts up to race home to find out what kind of mistake Seung-po made. Surely he meant to send somebody else—Pan-swe is too important!

And then, Dal-hyang is surprised by another unexpected visitor: Sohyeon, who invites himself in and makes himself comfortable. Dal-hyang receives him awkwardly, since this is such shabby surroundings, but the prince tells him that he’s more comfortable outside the palace than in it. Because he hadn’t been raised to be crown prince (King Injo only became king after a coup displaced his predecessor, Gwanghae—a coup led by Kim Ja-jeom, in fact), he finds the palace restricting, with too many watchful eyes.

Sohyeon calls this a secret between the two of them, which the other two musketeers don’t even know about. He asks what posts Dal-hyang is interested in serving, mentioning one special unit as a possibility, which Sohyeon could recommend him for… but instead opposed. Dal-hyang’s face goes from hopeful to perplexed, and then affronted when the prince says innocently that he can’t have Dal-hyang brought in close proximity with the princess—what if they fell in love?

That’s a joke, of course, and Sohyeon adds that his real reason for declining to give him that post is because he wants him in another, where he’d be dealing directly with the Manchu envoys—namely, General Ingguldai. He gives him the instruction to find Mi-ryung, as Dal-hyang is one of very few who knows what she looks like, and bring her to Sohyeon. That is his first order as a soldier.

Thus Dal-hyang is among the ranks of the officers who line up in front of the city to receive the Manchu envoys. Ingguldai gives the signal to his men, who draw their swords upon their approach. The Joseon troops hurry forward to guard their people, and the air grows thick with tension.

Then the screen lifts from the carriage window, and Mi-ryung peers out. She and Dal-hyang lock eyes, and she smirks at him.

Dal-hyang flashes back to the instructions the prince gave him: to keep this a secret. Sohyeon describes this as both a private and public matter to him, and when asked what he wants from her, he replies that he’d like things to unfold differently than five years ago.

In another flashback (within this flashback), we see a younger Mi-ryung crying and calling out to the prince. She’s tied up and says pleadingly, “You said you loved me.” And then young Sohyeon gives her an order: “Commit suicide.” Oh holy shit. That was a left turn I wasn’t expecting.

So it’s not too far from the truth when Sohyeon tells Dal-hyang, “I killed her. But as she survived, this is a shocking matter.” Dal-hyang is stunned at the implication that he might kill her again, asking what he’ll do this time. Sohyeon replies, “I don’t know. I must see her to know what I’ll do.” Sohyeon supposes it’ll be one of two possibilities: He’ll either kill her again, or maybe they’ll hold hands and be in love again. He says it in his trademark wry tone, which doesn’t betray how outrageous either option is.

Taken aback and confused, Dal-hyang asks if he’s joking or serious, but Sohyeon declares question-and-answer time over: “Now, carry out the order.”

 
COMMENTS

Whoa. I wasn’t expecting this, but it sure does explain certain quirks in Sohyeon’s character, doesn’t it? I fully expect there to be a complicated, perhaps even sympathetic reasoning behind the suicide order, but it’s hard to argue that it was reasonable or even justifiable. Perhaps it was purely politically driven, or there were coercions involved, or the stakes were super high, but in any case the bottom line is that Mi-ryung was an innocent girl used as a pawn, and Sohyeon was the agent of betrayal.

It certainly explains her turn now, siding with the Manchus against the Joseon court in a situation that is almost certainly going to lead to war. He may have had the more powerful support in their youths, but now she’s on the side with the power (inasmuch as this would be a war that the Manchus are poised to win—they’re on the way up while their rivals in the Ming dynasty, with whom Injo maintained alliances, is crumbling). The question now becomes what she intends to do once she’s gotten close to the prince; if it’s a personal vendetta, does she mean to kill him? Or just help a rival nation crush Joseon and take her revenge in seeing his dynasty subjugated? I’m intrigued. Mi-ryung was always an interesting character given her fierceness and screen presence, but seeing the backstory supporting all that animosity makes her downright fascinating.

By extension that also makes Sohyeon more intriguing as well, and casts his character in a darker shadow. It has the twofold effect of making me like him both less and more; less because of the obvious reason that his charming, witty facade is now marred by questionable moral fiber, and more because complicated characters are much more compelling than the ones who are just likable all the time. Even if likability is nothing to scoff at (goodness knows I wouldn’t like a character who’s unlikable just to be different either!).

And now, it’ll be a challenge for Dal-hyang to figure out where he stands when his personal code of honor is put in direct conflict with his professional one, because as a soldier, he certainly owes the prince his utmost devotion. So he’ll take on this secret mission, I’m sure, but I expect his pure soul to challenge him every step of the way. It’s something he does need to grow out of to a certain extent (gaining some worldliness isn’t all bad, especially when you’re as full of naivety as Dal-hyang), but it’s also something that makes him who he is, and to some extent I see that as part of his identity. I’ll be curious to see just how much he changes over the course of the show—and how much he doesn’t.

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This is getting really fun!

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i'm a little confused because even though he ordered for her to commit suicide, i was under the assumption that she did something wrong or there was a misunderstanding. someone rescued her and faked her death and even killed the person who handled it so i wonder what the real story is. i don't think sohyun used her as a pawn like you said but was probably hurt by whatever lie was manipulated for him to order her death.

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Unless the subtitle has deceived me(again), I think Sohyeon said something like 'I hope she has changed' so it seems like Mi-ryung did do something wrong.Although there is always the possibility that she was indeed a sacrifice for political gains, from what we've seen so far of Prince Sohyeon, it's a bit hard to believe that he would abandon the girl he loved easily or misunderstand her without enough evidence. Arrg only the writer knows what the truth is at this point!!

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The prince said, "I hope [it/the situation] is different this time" so there's no explicit indication that Mi-ryung did anything.

It IS meant to be deliberately puzzling, though, so it's not that we're reading the situation correctly or incorrectly -- I'm sure the drama means to keep us on our toes!

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see! the subtitle did deceive me again!!! :(

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If you're referring to the Viki subtitle, the Viki system is a bit haywire of late. The subtitle was edited so that it says "it" and not "her," but that change along with the rest of the edits isn't reflected on screen. Headache.

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@anais

No I watched the episode with KDrama Crunchyroll sub as Viki was having problem at that moment.

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Well, I must say that I totally saw this coming.

Athos killed his wife - MiLady - (or at leats he tried) when he found out that she was a murderer before they fell in love... So if there is a little similarity whith Sohyeon and Mi Ryung it's possible that she had done something very wrong... ;)

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Thank you for the recap! I've been refreshing the page like crazy since yesterday. Hehe.

Of all the ongoing dramas, this one is my favorite. There are couple of other dramas that I think are decent but none of them captivated me with just first two episodes like Three Musketeers did. Hope it continues this way.
Loved the third episode. It gave hints about the mystery surrounding Mi-ryung in a way I wasn't expecting at all and I love the surprise!

but what I want most now is the next episode.The preview is killing me! Can't Sunday come any faster?!

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this is my most favorite on going show too, i'm interested in this drama after i watch lee jin wook in nine.
I'm curious what Miryung sin until the prince order her to kill herself.
I like prince charracter, he has serious side n funny side

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I love the head gear on the newly minted graduates/ministers. The bobbing colourful flowers on their hats are so exotic! They look like tropical birds in heat!

I like the princess already. Her emotional outburst in front of the princess in the previous ep and her tearful presence in front of the king let her come across as being an honest vulnerable sort. Hope to see more of her!

The prince's first love--that actress just played a very similar role in another sageuk most recently, Empress Ki. It feels like seeing her for 30 weeks straight.

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Intriguing indeed! Another long wait for next episode...

I think Mi-ryung looks too modern to be in sageuk especially obvious during the ceremony. :)

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It's that she has very broad shoulders. Very tall and broad. And she doesn't walk like a demure Joseon lady. She walks like an assassin.

The actress who plays Mi Ryung has played sageuk roles before, but always in warrior capacity.

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Yes I agreed! Saw her in Empress Ki, a tough desert woman who die to protect the Goryeo Price.

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That's probably why I react so strongly to her hairpiece. She doesn't have demure Joseon princess facial expressions. She looks like she might suddenly start dealing a poker hand or file for an injunction or check the clip on her automatic or order the surgical team to wash up and pull some extra Type O for the patient.

I gotta find more time to watch this show.

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I've upgraded. Now I want to knock that stupid wig off the leading ladies head with a hockey stick.

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chill, it's part of their culture and history.

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Yeah, but she looks SO uncomfortable! She should become a pirate and wear her hair like Son Hi Jin.

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It was uncomfortable. They weighed a ton.

That said, European wigs of the 18th century were far worse. So there you have that.

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Yep. My ancestors were all Czech and German peasants. They didn't have to wear the wigs, thank gawd. It might have crushed their brains. But they had to drink warm beer, eat turnips with the cows in winter, and put up with being ravaged by passing armies every decade or so. That's plenty of good reasons to modernize and immigrate to the States.

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LOL. I suppose I shouldn't laugh, but your description was just too funny.

Warm beer. Yum.

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I had time this weekend to finally catch up with this drama and I am hooked. I have faith that this writers will deliver, Nine was just such a well thought drama. I want to see where this is going. I haven't read or seen the movies of the three musketeers ( I understand the premise tough) but I have a question is the slave going to become an important character later on in the story? Also oh how I missed Lee Jin Wook's mischievous smile, I love that man and to see that that is his real life personality makes me love him more. Thanks for the recap javabeans. I will continue to look forward to them. Did you guys hear about Ladies Code? Such a tragedy. :(

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In the book, Lady Winter was ordered by Athos, her husband, to be drowned, because she had a lover, killed someone, and wasn't of noble birth. She survived (Duma didn't explain how nor if someone helped her) and became an evil assassin and a spy for the enemy - the English.

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Oops. Sorry. The Lady de Winter was ordered to be hanged not drowned.

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What's wrong with my memory? Sorry. After poisoning her second husband who was English, Lady de Winter started to work for the France's Cardinal Richelieu, and was going back and forth between the two countries, killing her English and French enemies alike.

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Actually it was because Athos found out she had lied to him about being a criminal - she had already killed and stolen by the time Athos meets her posing as a curate's sister (who was her lover). He turned her in as she was an escaped convict who'd have been hung but somehow escapes and assumes a new identity (amongst many).

That said, I wonder how they will develop Miryung's character. She seems the most intriguing to me at the moment.

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Yeay!!!!!Been waiting for this...This is my latest drama obsession....been looking forward to more bromance especially on Prince and Dalhyang...keke...Thank you...Off to read....:)

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When Mi-Ryung stared at Sohyeon, it gave me goosebumps (of the extremely creepy kind). She hardly had 5 lines this episode, but woah, does she leave an impression or what?!

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This drama is awesome! I loved the original novel and the drama brings in extra spice by including extremely clever twists and turns!

While I could associate every character from the drama to the books(M. de Treville and Planchett, good to see you both in this episode!!), I still can't make out who Rochefort is - No Soo or Ingguldai?

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Edit : Oh its No Soo- I forgot that Rochefort had an eye-patch

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I think javabeans posted an overview in the recap for ep 2 about who was who in the drama. Think it said that No Soo is indeed Rochefort. Though the eyepatch is actually something added into the movies and doesn't appear in the orignial book. If I remember what I read correctly.

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If this series is going along the general format of the original Dumas tale, then I am worried for several characters.
Plus it's nice to see this version of the tale, how its adding its own spin to everything so now I am truly curious to see why Sohyeon would have given Mi-Ryung such an order. Ah...the tragic tale of Athos and Milady...*shakes head*

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The three musketeers were like proud papas with there baby duckling (PDH) in that ceremony! Look at the way they smile :)

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Yep...love that scene...Prince, Seung po and Min Seo were all smile when little Dalhyang's walking to his position...I also love the scene were Seung Po/ Min See's relieved face when they saw Dalhyang's okay....Cant wait to see more bromance from them...keke

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More like proud mamas...lol...I really cant wait until Dalhyang gets comfortable with the Prince and slightly treats him like Seungpo...kekeke

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Good thing that this drama is good...bad thing that its once a week...How to last until sunday....aish....

Mi-Ryung is turning to be one of my fave characters...keke..

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I know!!! I can't get enough of it so far and I hope the storyline continues to reel me in

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Would some kind soul please explain me the relation of Ming, Qing, Jin and Joseon in a simple way? Which came after what or what was subordinate to which?!
I tried Google but still find it very confusing >_<

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From what little I understand of history, Joseon was a Tributary state of Ming Empire (China).

Jin and Qing are different Dynasty of Manchuria. The Manchus during its Later Jin Dynasty invaded Joseon Korea twice and King Injo submitted to Manchu Khan about 1637.

Around that time the Khan of the Later Jin (Manchuria) rename his state from "Great Jin" to "Great Qing"

The Manchu eventually defeated and took over China in 1644. So the Khan also be came Emperor of Qing Dynasty in China

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This drama is my new addiction. Why is there only one episode per week?!!?!

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Yeah...that's what I'm asking too...*sighs
But apparently, they said its to better the condition of a drama or something...can be a good way but bad if your enjoying it so much...keke

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Poor the horse RIP dalhyang's twin ~ dalhyang look like zombi when he back to the motel haha ~ this drama give me a head ache ~ the story is sooo difficult to guess! writter song is so smart ~ the preview for next ep! dalhyang seduced the innocent park dalhyang! can i ship them -.- i think no. because i ship dalhyang with minseo hehe kidding ~

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Lol it wasn't Dalhyang's twin who died... just some random brown horse he hopped on to chase Miryung & No Soo. I swear I'll throw a fit if his twin horsey dies!!! Its one of my favorite character D:

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I miss his twin...I guess now that he is in military service, a shabby horseisn't needed...:( but still...its his twin..:( lol

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Yeah... it broke my heart when the horse became the casualty of war. We've lost two horses in this drama and it's just the third episode.

Hope they give a break to horse lovers everywhere ((tears and sniffs)).

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I really liked that additional touch, depicting the horse as a character deserving of empathy and respect. Normally, animal characters are treated like set props in kdrama, so that was lovely (if painful) to see.

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The crown princess's characterization is less complex than some of the others, but I find her the most intriguing so far. For me she started to shine in this episode. Although initially portrayed as a vulnerable and weepy princess, she has the potential to be something greater. Well I hope that's the trajectory the show will eventually take. We have already seen glimpses of her regality, dedication, and willingness to defy decorum. I am hopeful that she will be a strong hand for the prince.

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the crown princess is one of my fav characters in this XD. I know many find her annoying because her crying outburst, but i believe she'll have good character development (and also relationship development with the Prince of course XD).

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On the contrary, her crying outbursts kind of make me love her more. She cries when she feels like it and I find that refreshing. Honestly, if I was stuck in a loveless marriage I'd have a hard time keeping it together too.

I completely agree with you guys, I'm really enjoying her character. And I really like her chemistry with the Prince. I hope to see them become a strong pair.

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aahhh the chemistry, makes me squeel when i see the preview for next ep XD. Skinshiiipppp

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I miss Dal-hyang's free hair with the blue band now that it's tucked up in the uniform hat befitting of his position.

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Started this drama for my bias but man I'm loving all the characters in this drama! I initially didn't like yoonseo cuz I thought she'll be crying all the time type of character but I was wrong. I find her funny n love her scenes with CP! I love bromance so I enjoy dh & three musketeers interactions. Hopefully, the drama will keep this pace and humor in the next episodes. Pity it airs once a week!

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I love Mi-Ryung, she's my favorite, I do like the princess but she's too weepy for me at the moment.
Personally I hope that Mi-Ryung did nothing wrong, was framed or simply misunderstood instead of making her the villain. That would make it more tragic that the person she loved ordered her to commit suicide.

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Yep...I kinda understand her a bit in this episode and I hope her character dont go to becoming too villain.I hope she's just another victime of such circumstance...But base on what I watch in the Thre Musketeers movie..Milady was such a cunning lady...I hope Mi-Ryung will rurn out good somehow...anyways...Ilove it when Princess is not all winey and crying but I think she'll change later so I'm still giving her a chance coz I hate girls who cry too much...Girl's should rock!!!!!lolxxx

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I like that the Princess cries when she wants to. She's like "Screw it, I'm not going to act like I'm happy with this arrangement." I find it endearing.

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I'm gonna give the Princess some few more episode of some crying because I'm cheering her on grabbing and tearing down the Prince cold exterior!!You go Princess..lol

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Yep..so I'm giving her few more eps to do that...Crying without a damn care is nice but she should do something about it...Go get your man!!!keke

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Woah, not sure what to think. I was getting sociopath vibes from so-hyun before because his emotional reactions (or lack there of) are just so off. However, I thought his obtuseness was more likely a deliberate mask hiding his real feelings/intentions. But with this new turn, I'm kinda questioning if he really is messed up in some way- if he is legitly crazy that might explain his death by his father's hands. On the other hand, that seems really dark and twisted for the tone of this show, so I'm still leaning towards anti-hero rather than pyscho. It's really quite puzzling and unsettling trying to grasp his character- I'm certainly intrigued! Good job show, I will definitely stick around to figure it out :)

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I have to watch with subtitles so I'm never sure I correctly interpret interpersonal dynamics from dialogs. I don't see the prince as a sociopath. However, he often seems to psychologically abuse the princess for kicks.

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i like the princess, she's so cute...

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Me too. She's turning out to be my favorite character in this drama, she has plenty of heart. She's spunky in her own way.

Hope it isn't too much to ask for a romance to happen between the princess and the crown prince. He treats her too comically and too lightly and it stings her pride. I was glad that she burst into tears in front of the king, effectively showing that all was not right between her and the prince, and in a way, putting the crown prince in his place. Atta girl!

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Oh man, I'm hella shipping the prince and the princess. Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite romance tropes and this whole pitting of the sardonic prince against an earnest, well meaning, sweet princess is tickling all the right spots for me.

I love that she went to support Dal-Hyang at his induction ceremony. It's a sweet beat of friendship for them. I can see him being her staunch supporter even if her heart is elsewhere now.

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Planchet was one of my favourite characters in the Dumas novel so I'm excited as to what they will do with Panswe. I totally expect an awesome dynamic between him and Dalhyang!!
This has to be the drama I look foward to the most each week now

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I started watching the show out of curiosity know How the story would fit into the joseon dynasty. I'm glad I did because this show is better that. What I expected! The actor who plays park dalhyang won me over with his innocence and He is quite a good looking chap. And when I searched for his name, I was surprised that He sings too. Talk about talent. I'm also liking the guy who plays seungpo, he's so fun ^^. And He sings too? Talent overload in Korea. Looking forward to the next episode!

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Same here! The main guy looks like a puppy...so cute *0*
So, he sings too? I should check him out then :D

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Surprise that you guys dont know him..anyways..yep, he is a charismatic leader and main vocal of a band...his vocals are amazing and already hearx him live..totally rockin the stage and he is adorable as the maknae Park Dalhyang...keke

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I don't listen to k music So I'm not familiar with the k singers , So yes I've not seen him before lol. And yeah He had that innocent puppy looking eyes that talk!

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He's such a cute guy - I've been a fan of his since his first drama You're Beautiful and it was him that got me into k-pop. He's the leader/lead vocalist of CNBlue (his band's name, short for code name blue) and I agree his vocals are amazing!! But out of all his dramas, this one is by far his best :)

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He not only sings and plays the guitar, he's a songwriter/composer too :D

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Thank you for the recap!
I'm not sure tho Mi-Ryung is just an innocent victim of political game or something, because the official website says she had done what she should have not, in order to be a crown princess. And if it involved a political reason and Sohyeon used her as a pawn and threw her out beause she was not useful anymore, breaking the engagement which humiliated her in public would be much easier than ordering her to kill herself. It's just my guess, Mi-Ryung did something, according to the website, and she thought to be forgiven by him as he loved her.

The similar situations between drama and novel are very interesting such as Milady also faked her death from hanging which ordered by Athos. I can't wait to see the next episode!

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Great drama, I am loving it. Very dig this thing of one episode per week...

I have one complaint though: is the princess going to cry in every episode?

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I think she's gonna grow up and stand up for herself...Give her few more episodes...:)

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1. So Joseon is in trouble but it couldn't be too bad if the soldiers in the army are as terrible shots as the ones who shot at Dal-Hyang…
2. if the king is so desperately alone then why doesn't he get himself a sea of concubines… heaven knows thats what everyone else does
3. This probably won't happen but I kind of want a witty-bitty side romance for Min-Seo, just because he's adorable and an ex-monk and I'm picturing it being a little awkward and cute

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I'm HERE for your # 3! That would be super fun and adorable to watch especially with his wingmen XD

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What's really turning out to be fun is seeing how they take the original story and put their own spin on it. So you're wondering what parts of the story are going to be included, and sometimes it's surprising.

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" but in any case the bottom line is that Mi-ryung was an innocent girl used as a pawn,"

I am surprised this is the conclusion you jump to. Where is the evidence that she was innocent, unwittingly used pawn?

My guess would be that it's far more likely the Prince discovered that Mi-ryung was a traitor and had a hand in the coupe or had committed some other treacherous act against the nation and expected him to overlook it for love.

In the Dumas book, the girl is guilty as all get-out, but the royal muskateer was also too young, too hasty, too black and white in his thinking and both have some repenting to do, but in any case, the girl had actually commited crimes which warranted the death penalty at that place and time, and he was the one who would have tried her case and sent her to the hangman if it had gone to court.

I fully expect this story to follow the same line- whatever Mi-ryung did, it was something horrendous that brought great shame to her father's house and legally would have resulted in her torture and death. I expect that "Kill yourself' was probably the most merciful death sentence the Prince could offer for whatever crimes she committed.

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