Seven Day Queen: Episode 8
by javabeans
There are the kinds of sacrifices that make me want to reach into the screen and knock heads around, and there are the kind that twist me up and knot up my heartstrings because the dilemma is presented so strongly that the sacrifice feels respectable, sometimes downright necessary. Guess which one this is? It’s another tense ride today, all chock-full of emotional challenges and tests of character, topped off with another cliffhanger to keep us on edge for the next week. ANOTHER WEEK, by god. What will I do to fill the time.
EPISODE 8 RECAP
Nok-soo takes a secret meeting with Secretary Im, and suggests that they hang Chae-kyung in public to purposely draw out Yeok. They don’t know that Myung-hye has planted a couple men in Secretary Im’s staff, who report those plans to Myung-hye and her uncle, Deputy Commander Park.
They recognize the effectiveness of Nok-soo’s idea, because Yeok won’t be able to ignore Chae-kyung’s suffering if he sees it right in front of his eyes. Thus Myung-hye realizes that this fight will never end until Yeok appears—unless they can eliminate Chae-kyung from the equation.
That’s what prompts Myung-hye to disguise herself as a fellow prisoner to join Chae-kyung in her cell. She notices that Chae-kyung is already ill and seems surprised to realize that she has been enduring agony for Yeok’s sake, hoping that he’ll stay away.
Myung-hye pulls out the vial of poison and gets ready to administer it, thinking Chae-kyung ought to be glad to be put out of her misery—but just then, a guard shows up and asks what she’s doing.
Myung-hye hides the vial quickly, then looks up in surprise to see that the guard is Seo-no. Aw, he went rogue to help Chae-kyung! He says he came out of concern, and Myung-hye jumps to use that as her excuse too—she was worried that Yeok might do something, so she came here purely to observe. She insists that she’s here with the exact same intention as Seo-no and warns him not to find fault with her. Ugh, I really dislike her.
Seo-no, at least, doesn’t appear to trust her explanation. He binds her wrists with rope, then stands guard directly in front of the cell. She asks if he got Yeok’s permission to come, and Seo-no says tersely not to mention him. Myung-hye figures they fought, then takes out the poison vial surreptitiously while his back is turned.
But that’s when Scarface and his men enter the prison. Seo-no hastily unties Myung-hye’s hands and they both resume their covers as guard and prisoner. Scarface has Chae-kyung dragged out of the building, and Myung-hye warns Seo-no not to do anything rash.
Chae-kyung is put into a caged wagon, and Seo-no joins the entourage of guards that accompany it as it is wheeled along. Chae-kyung asks with mounting panic where she’s being taken, and Secretary Im offers to let her go now if she reveals where the thief is hiding. She asks incredulously why he’s going to such lengths to catch him, and Secretary Im replies that the man is guilty of high treason for stealing tributes from the king.
Chae-kyung is mounted to a large cross and hung above the city wall. Damn, there’s just something powerful about crucifixion imagery. I’m trying to take comfort in the fact that it’s Seo-no tying her there, even though she doesn’t seem to recognize him.
She trembles as she’s tied many feet above the ground, but she’s even more frightened by the sight of archers getting into position, ready to attack the minute Yeok shows up.
She repeats to herself in agitation, “You must not come. If you come, you will die.”
Seo-no climbs up onto the cross to offer Chae-kyung a last drink of water, which she declines, to his dismay.
Secretary Im orders the news to be spread far and wide to ensure their target will hear it. Scarface speculates that the reason Yeok hasn’t shown up yet is because of the poison arrow he shot him with—if he hasn’t been treated with the antidote yet, he should be suffering the throes of its effects. Oh no, is that what Chae-kyung is feeling?
Yeok reads through records of royal tributes, but his mind wanders to his recent conversation with his mother, when she’d urged him to bide his time. He’d told her he would find his own way, because this method didn’t suit him. Gwang-oh brings him more records and asks if Yeok picked a fight with Seo-no on purpose, and Yeok unthinkingly says yes before realizing what he’s said. He denies it right away, but Gwang-oh guesses that he provoked Seo-no knowing that he’d go to help Chae-kyung.
Yeok winces over his shoulder wound, and it looks even worse now, all festering and ragged. Gwang-oh recoils at the smell of the bandage, recognizing the herb used as an antidote—and then the thought strikes him: “Were you poisoned?”
While his friends fuss over his fever, Yeok thinks back to Chae-kyung tending him with medicinal plants, and how she’d had a cut on her arm. A doctor is called to treat him, and while he assures Yeok that the poison doesn’t cause immediate death, if untreated it could be very dangerous. Yeok asks for an antidote, but the doctor says it would take two days to collect the ingredients and make it.
Seo-no bursts in to tell them of Chae-kyung’s plight. Yeok immediately starts to head out, but his friends argue that he’ll get himself killed. He fires back that he can’t just leave her to hang like that when she’s already in bad shape.
Gwang-oh points out that even if they were to rescue her, they don’t have an antidote. Seo-no adds another concern: that even if they had it, it wouldn’t do any good. Based on how she refused water, he fears that she’s already decided to die.
Daylight comes and Chae-kyung continues hanging on the cross, thinking of Yeonsangun’s offer to release her in exchange for capturing Yeok, and how Yeok had told her sarcastically to ask for help if she wanted to see him die. That firms her resolve, and she vows, “I won’t do that. Ever.”
Yeok watches from a distance, torn at the sight of her pain but clearly seeing the armed men lying in wait. He remembers how she’d expressed relief that the man she fell for this time turned out to be the prince after all, and not a strange jerk.
Yeonsangun drinks alone in an inn, recalling the time he’d observed memorial rites with Chae-kyung. He growls, “There’s no use in smiling like that. If you refuse my helping hand, I will not protect you either.”
Suddenly, an arrow flies through the door and lands in the table. He bolts out the door while his bodyguard steps protectively in front of him, and off in the distance Yeok draws his bow and takes aim. Yeonsangun jumps out of the way as a second arrow whizzes by, and more swordsmen leap into position in front of the king.
Yeok is far enough away that his face can’t be seen, but Yeonsangun narrows his eyes when he spots him. Yeok runs, and Yeonsangun turns his attention to the letter wrapped around the arrow shaft. It reads, “Shin Chae-kyung is dying at the gates. Thanks for killing her for me.”
Yeonsangun immediately mounts his horse and rides off, thinking furiously, “Die? Who’ll die?”
He catches up to Yeok on the road, although he doesn’t realize this is the arrow-shooter. Yeok ducks his head as Yeonsangun overtakes him in the road, thinking, “Hyungnim, now you will have to know—what your mistaken choices and judgments will result in.”
The two riders take different forks in the road, but Yeonsangun halts his horse to throw a look back. They’re too far away to see very clearly, but as Yeok pauses, they stare at each other for a moment before continuing on their way.
Chae-kyung weakens as the day wears on, head hanging in fatigue. Her mind revisits memories from her youth, like when she’d told Yeok that whistling allayed her fears. Thinking of all their sweet moments together, first as children and then in recent days, brings a smile to her face.
Off in the distance, she makes out the blurry figure of a rider heading her way. Although she seems uplifted at first to recognize Yeok, that immediately turns to panic upon seeing Secretary Im’s men preparing their weapons. She shakes her head frantically, telling him he mustn’t approach, and struggles futilely against her ropes.
But as the rider nears, Yeok turns into Yeonsangun, and her face both falls in disappointment and relaxes in relief. The soldiers are called to stand down as Yeonsangun dismounts, and he stares up in shock to see Chae-kyung in her condition. She recognizes the king, and maybe it’s the relief that causes her to finally go limp, head lolling forward.
Yeonsangun orders her taken down, and once she’s freed, he carries her off on horseback. In the distance, Yeok watches them go, and Seo-no assures him that she’ll be safe now.
Yeonsangun takes her to the royal doctor, who explains that she was hit with a poison arrow, and the poison has spread through her entire body. Yeonsangun orders him to save her no matter what, then asks the unconscious Chae-kyung how and why she endured so long in her condition. He blames himself for letting this happen to her all to catch Yeok, and chides her for not asking for help, which he would have given immediately.
Yeok watches quietly from behind the window as Yeonsangun insists on feeding Chae-kyung the antidote himself. He spoons it into her mouth, wiping her mouth with his finger, then touches her face gently.
Yeonsangun is called away, at which point Yeok steps forward and sits at her bedside. He takes her hand and tells her, “Chae-kyung-ah, I’m not sorry. It’s your fault for not keeping your promise from the start.” Funny how his eyes and voice say exactly the opposite of his words, and his voice trembles as he continues, “Did you not say you would not wait? But you will have waited. You will have called my name inwardly countless times. You will have told me not to come even as you waited for me. Do you think I do not know you?”
And then, Chae-kyung opens her eyes.
Outside, the king receives the update that no sign of the thief was found. Yeonsangun asks scornfully if the thief means to play hide and seek, just as a sound comes from inside the room and puts him on immediate alert. He inches closer to the door, wary.
Chae-kyung’s vision comes into focus on Yeok’s face, and he asks why she went this far. She smiles up at him, saying that he did the same thing: “Now, I repay my debt to you.” Her eyes fall closed, and footsteps sound outside the door.
Yeok leaps for cover moments before Yeonsangun enters with his bodyguard, looking for signs of an intruder. Yeok sweats from his hiding spot behind the bed, but thankfully the arrival of the queen diverts Yeonsangun’s attention. Yeonsangun steps outside to speak with the queen, who’s come by with Chae-kyung’s parents. Yeok emerges from hiding and grasps Chae-kyung’s hand one last time before slipping away.
Chae-kyung’s mother and the queen rush to her side. She’s fallen back asleep, but now she wears Yeok’s promise ring around her neck—he must have given it to her.
Wearing a grim face, Yeonsangun asks his eunuch for an update on Secretary Im, and is told that all has been done as ordered.
Now it’s Scarface and his men who are strung up on crosses on the city wall. When Yeonsangun arrives, Secretary Im quakes under the king’s thunderous gaze, and an underling kneels before the king’s horse to offer his back as stepstool. Seeing the king’s stony face, Secretary Im orders his man to move—and takes his place on the ground, on hands and knees.
Yeonsangun uses Im as his footstool, then asks if he finds his current position too burdensome to bear. He reminds Secretary Im that his order was to find the thief, and yet Im let things get out of hand: “Were you this incompetent a person?” Buuuurn. It must be hard to be a dumb Iago.
Yeonsangun tells him he was better suited for his prior position (a clear demotion), and Secretary Im blubbers an apology. Yeonsangun draws his sword and holds it to the man’s neck, cutting him off: “If you cause harm to one of my people again without my approval, it will not be your back but your neck that you offer up.”
Secretary Im looks terrified before the king, but as soon as Yeonsangun rides off, his tone turns resolute as he thinks, “No, Your Highness. I must be the only person you call yours.” He vows to capture Yeok and Minister Shin “for our sake.” Well, that took a possessive turn.
Chae-kyung wakes to find her mother and nanny at her side. Her first thought is to confirm the day, wondering if the deadline has passed for Yeok to show up (lest the punishment fall to her), and hears that it hasn’t arrived yet.
She cries, almost in surprise, “Am I… still alive? I can’t be alive. He may still come then.”
It breaks her mother’s heart, who screams at her for entertaining thoughts of dying, appalled that she was barely brought back from death only to wish to go. She tells her angrily to die if that’s her desire, because she doesn’t need a selfish daughter like her.
Nanny chides Chae-kyung for letting a mere thief get between her and her mother, when that thief hasn’t shown his face or any sign of concern. Chae-kyung says that he hasn’t come because he is unable, and that she’s even prayed for him not to.
Chae-kyung turns away from her medicine now, but then recalls how Yeonsangun fed her medicine when she was first brought here… and how, in her daze, she saw Yeok appear at her bedside too.
Minister Shin finds his wife lurking in the open doorway, watching Chae-kyung with Nanny rather than joining them. She tells him that Chae-kyung is much better now, and after watching for a moment from the doorway, Minister Shin turns to go, saying that seeing him would only make Chae-kyung cry. Mom joins him in leaving, explaining sheepishly that she’s already fought with her.
That night, Yeonsangun takes out the letter he received earlier at the inn, and another letter from years ago from Yeok. The handwriting is identical, and Yeonsangun scoffs to himself, “That I would resort to such cowardly methods just to catch you.” He burns both letters, then challenges Yeok to come to him.
Yeok runs all the way to his mountainside grave, where he screams up at the sky in a rage. He thinks back to his ailing father’s warning that as a prince, Yeok would find himself a target after the king’s death.
In the palace, Minister Shin greets the queen dowager as she arrives to visit Chae-kyung, although she makes it clear that it’s more for appearances’ sake. Minister Shin says that he trusts the queen dowager to know whom Chae-kyung was protecting, and asks her to consider forgiving the old debt (when Chae-kyung denied involvement with Yeok, leading to his punishment).
The queen dowager warns him not to tell her again to stand back and do nothing—words he said back when Yeok was exiled. “I should be able to help you,” she adds. Minister Shin thanks her for the offer, but says firmly that he will protect his own daughter.
The queen dowager returns to her quarters to meet with her two confidantes, Deputy Commander Park and Myung-hye. She reports that Minister Shin came out strong by declaring no further debts between them, and Park guesses that Shin knows that Yeok is alive. The queen dowager advises them to stand back and not act for the time being—she will watch as Minister Shin and Chae-kyung live out their fates.
The queen dowager tells Myung-hye that she must be disappointed to have her efforts thwarted when it took a lot for her to administer the poison. Myung-hye confesses that she never did it, because Chae-kyung had been poisoned by an arrow and had been silently suffering its effects.
The queen dowager exclaims, “Do you mean that girl is prepared to die to protect Yeok?” Myung-hye says yes.
The queen dowager worries that this will weigh heavily on Yeok’s mind, and Deputy Commander Park instructs Myung-hye to keep a close eye on him to make sure he doesn’t do anything.
Myung-hye returns to their headquarters, where she informs the team that Chae-kyung will be released, although not immediately. She was technically arrested on royal order, so they’ll need to go through formalities to pardon her. It’s good news, and everyone watches for Yeok’s reaction.
He suggests leaving the city until things have calmed down. They’re surprised that he’d be willing to do it, but don’t disagree.
Myung-hye speaks privately with Seo-no to ask why he didn’t reveal seeing her at the prison. Seo-no simply asks if Myung-hye would consider changing her tactics: “I have heard that love is respecting the methods and thinking similar thoughts to the one you love. And that is why love is difficult.”
Myung-hye retorts, “Who said anything about loving?” Seo-no asks, “If not love, then what is it? Lady Chae-kyung opened his heart and changed his thoughts and gave him conviction. But Lady Myung-hye—if you wish to win over Chae-kyung, you will have to try even harder.”
In her sickroom, Chae-kyung makes her way to the window Yeok used to slip away, and recalls the words he’d spoken at her bedside—about how he knew she waited for him, because he knew her.
Now we see that Yeok had taken the ring off his own neck and placed it on hers as she slept. He’d told her, “You said that a promise should come with token to mark it. When that promise is made invalid, shouldn’t that token be taken back as well? Now, there are no more promises between us. And no promise to return.”
Chae-kyung pulls the out the ring, which she now wears around her neck, and cries over the memory.
Meanwhile, Yeok and Seo-no ride outside of the city, while the sound of whistling fills the air.
At court, Secretary Im pronounces Chae-kyung’s pardon, reading the king’s decision aloud, which mentions the flood situation in the south and the citizens’ suffering. It states that crimes excluding those of the highest level will be forgiven as a comfort to the struggling people. That includes Chae-kyung, who is to be pardoned and released.
It makes all the ministers (minus a shocked Minister Shin) drop to their knees in protest, arguing against it. Three ministers declare that the tribute thief stole from them last night, which they argue brings dishonor to the king. Clearly some late-night conspiring has been in play, maneuvered by Secretary Im, and they present letters left by the supposed thief, which tell them not to feel too resentful since he also stole from the king.
Yeonsangun crumples the notes angrily and demands an explanation. Secretary Im states that the thief struck again and that he will alert the authorities to investigate. Other ministers speak up to argue that letting Chae-kyung go when she conspired with the culprit would just embolden the thief. And once again, Yeonsangun finds that his efforts to enact a decision are stymied by his court.
Minister Shin is stunned at this turn, and Secretary Im watches him with snakelike eyes, thinking that Shin was mistaken if he thought things would just end here. In a flashback to the night before, we see Secretary Im handing out those notes to his army of henchmen, who then raided the ministers and left the notes behind.
Minister Shin kneels before the throne and tells the king that he will take responsibility and resign his post. He reminds the king that there’s no evidence proving that Chae-kyung acted in concert with the thief, but since she was captured while with him, he asks to take her punishment himself.
This surprises the entire room, but moreover, the king refuses to accept those terms. Yeonsangun sarcastically sums up the ministers’ stance: The thief must be caught, Chae-kyung is a crucial connection who must not be released, and they’re only saying this out of loyalty to the king, not because they were raided.
Yeonsangun says in his angry caustic tone that their demands must be met, and throws an entire chest of royal badges onto the floor, telling them to use them to catch that thief. He tells them to mobilize all the royal resources they wish and capture that thief. A minister protests that he mustn’t give away his badges so freely, and Yeonsangun supposes that they’re afraid to use them and put their own necks on the line. Motioning broadly, Yeonsangun urges them to go ahead and use them. Ah, I frigging love sarcastic Yeonsangun.
He tells Minister Shin to rise, but the man remains kneeling and insists on receiving the punishment. Yeonsangun argues that he isn’t the one who ought to receive punishment, but the minister replies that the situation gets more and more complicated, requiring someone to take responsibility.
Yeonsangun fires back that the cowardly thief is the one who should take responsibility—for stealing from him, for putting Chae-kyung in danger, and for raiding the ministers. He turns his scathing words back on the rest of the court, saying that when Chae-kyung was first arrested, everyone remained silent and did nothing more than observe how the king and Minister Shin reacted—but the minute they were raided, they get all up in arms.
He challenges anyone who accuses Minister Shin and Chae-kyung of a crime to provide evidence or catch the thief themselves. When they do, he will discuss how to punish father and daughter. He storms out, and Secretary Im looks a little unnerved to have things not quite go to plan.
Minister Shin remains kneeling as everyone files out of the room. Deputy Commander Park, who has been quietly observing as always, gets in a dig at Secretary Im by guessing that he will lose this round to Minister Shin. Secretary Im retorts that Park is hardly in a position to talk, offended at the jab.
Chae-kyung’s nanny is so distracted that when Chae-kyung tries to get her attention, she blurts reflexively, “Nothing’s the matter!” Which, of course, is immediately a tipoff that something is.
Chae-kyung asks what it is, and the answer sends her running for the palace, worried for her father. Minister Shin has taken up a penitent position in front of the king’s palace, kneeling on a straw mat in the open courtyard in supplication to the king.
Secretary Im notes that today is the last day allotted to Chae-kyung to turn over Yeok in exchange for freedom. With a few hours left till the deadline, he wonders whose neck will ultimately be offered up.
Chae-kyung runs all the way to the palace, crying as she sees her father kneeling in the courtyard. Falling next to him, she apologizes for making him endure this suffering, blaming herself.
Yeonsangun arrives and is surprised to see Chae-kyung there. She kneels before him and begs him to spare her family any blame, pleading to take on the punishment alone. She asks him to carry out the original punishment, insisting on it in the name of fairness.
She says that the king has given her chances to save herself, and it was she who did not take them. Yeonsangun orders her taken back to the infirmary and walks away, so Chae-kyung springs up to run after him. His guards draw their swords to keep her at a distance—and then Chae-kyung sways, her eyes roll up in her head, and she falls.
Her mother rushes to cradle her, and Yeonsangun pushes past his guards toward her. But it’s another voice that cuts in, booming across the courtyard: “Stop!”
There at the gate stands a nobleman, his figure blurry in Chae-kyung’s hazy vision. He walks toward the palace, and eyes widen in disbelief the closer he gets.
It’s Yeok, and he walks purposefully toward them. Yeonsangun asks who he is, and gets the reply: “Lee Yeok.”
The queen dowager sways in shock. Minister Shin gapes. Secretary Im looks completely gobsmacked.
“Hyungnim,” Yeok continues. “It’s me. I have returned.”
COMMENTS
He’s baaaaaack! I was actually so startled that Yeok showed up that I exclaimed out loud when he did—I had, of course, fantasized about the possibility in that fairytale way but thought that there was no way he could arrive yet. The show did a convincing job of showing the futility of that when Yeok went to the prison and almost charged in without a plan, and how traps were laid out for him at every step. I was a little disappointed when all Yeok did was provoke Seo-no into acting in his place, since that seemed passive and roundabout, and also unnecessary since I’m sure Seo-no would have just gone to the prison at Yeok’s request. So I was relieved when he turned out to have a more active idea up his sleeve, and thought it was much smarter to manipulate Yeonsangun into action.
I have no idea what he’s thinking now, but I have to think that he’s thought of a plan and has a longer game in mind. Because hero appearances are great and all, but not if they just send the hero straight to prison! I’m choosing to believe that he’s found his own method, as he once told his mother he would do, because lying low and biding his time is not his style.
I never thought I’d say it, but I’m really enjoying the court politics in this drama, and I think that’s in large part why I feel like this is a more exciting sageuk than most—I mean, in addition to the sweet childhood story, the angsty separated lovers, the riveting villain’s performance, and all the other reasons that make this a good drama. But court politics is a beast in and of itself, and frequently incorporated into historicals because it’s a surefire way to raise stakes and take events to the level of utmost significance—not only are lives at risk, but we’re talking about putting self, family, and country on the line and you just don’t beat that in terms of narrative urgency.
But the truth is that those things can also be crutches when used in a clockwork manner to take stories in certain directions, in the way that kimchi slaps and money envelopes drive makjang dramas or Candys run amok in rom-coms. Easy shorthand to push plot. So I love that this drama provides me with the novel experience of relishing the exchanges that go down in the king’s court. I don’t necessarily think the villainous ministers are all that brilliant in their scheming, but this drama makes very effective use of the incompetence of the machine of politics to drive conflict. The thing really in Yeonsangun’s way isn’t just a particular scheme or person, but the entire way politics is run that allows greed and selfishness to stymie productive actions at every turn. It recalls the bone-deep frustration I feel about modern politics, but wrapped up in fictional characters I can root for.
The drama isn’t being entirely sympathetic to Yeonsangun (though this may be as sympathetic a light as we’ll ever get to see him), and I actually appreciate that it’s not only giving us the simplistic “Yeonsangun was misunderstood” portrayal—the dark, cruel side is certainly there. But where court politics are concerned, I definitely feel myself pulling for him to maneuver his way around his greedy, useless ministers through whatever verbal or logic gymnastics he can manage.
In the meantime, I really enjoyed Chae-kyung’s suffering quietly to protect Yeok, which is another thing I’d never thought I’d say—quietly suffering sacrifices usually drive me nuts, because I’m often screaming at people to just talk and resolve problems with information. But this setup worked quite well in establishing the stakes and showed us in an understated way how deeply committed she was to protecting Yeok. The quiet sacrifice is hardly an unusual plot development in dramas so I have to chalk it up to this drama having just that extra something in execution that makes the conflicts spark and the emotions land. Sometimes I like it when that pain cuts deep, okay?
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Tags: Episode 8, Lee Dong-gun, Park Min-young, Seven Day Queen, Yeon Woo-jin
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51 ywj
June 23, 2017 at 7:43 AM
I find all the dialogues so intriguing... especially on Young's, saying: He is not sorry for not waiting for him..... This drama is so unpredictable, not the typical ones... That's why I cant wait for the next episodes... Great job writer-nim, for the twists!!..
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52 ywj
June 23, 2017 at 7:47 AM
This drama is so unpredictable.... Not the typical ones.... Great twists writer nim!!... Now, Im so intrigued with Yeoung's dialogues: I am not sorry for not waiting for him.... Cant wait for the next episodes..
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53 Shimshim
June 23, 2017 at 8:50 AM
Why does Yeok tell CK their promise is over? He said, she broke it. How did she break it? It was Yeok who was determined not to reveal his identity.
I understand this maybe because Yeok wants her to stay out of this politics and revenge business. But dude, you've bin putting her through hell! So much suffering on all the three main leads. This show is killing me with the angst! I ship CK with both of them. She is close to both in different ways. And she understands them both. Poor CK. Her heart's going to get even more butchered now. :'/
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Hye Mi
June 24, 2017 at 1:00 AM
She said she wouldn't wait for him anymore, wouldn't think of him, and wouldn't call his name. It means she would give him up and no longer make any sacrifices for him. Yet her actions betrayed her words. She was willing to die just to keep him safe and he knew it. I don't think his telling her that she didn't keep her promise should be taken literally. It only meant that he was sad she still made sacrifices for him and that landed her in danger and her getting hurt. His telling her that their promise is over is his announcing that he would give up on her because she couldn't seem to do it, and in doing so I believe he hoped to end her suffering because of him. I do think both of them knew deep down that they couldn't do it no matter how many times they said it to the other person.
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Shimshim
June 24, 2017 at 4:30 AM
I get it now. Thanks! :)
But man, it breaks my heart watching them do their sacrifices.
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Shimshim
June 24, 2017 at 4:47 AM
I have a few doubts.
1. Why doesn't Yeok let CK know he's alive when he's told everyone else? (His mom, Seo Na, his two buddies) He only gets to know she's close to the king when he sees them accidentally. So, does that he mean he had no plans of keeping his promise? Although he loves and cares about her deeply. Does taking the throne automatically mean giving up the love?
2. Why does the king let the bad secretary live? He planned to assassinate Yeok and tortured CK. They are big crimes.
3. Lord Shin seems to be a sensible guy. Why doesn't he influence the king more in a good way? He knows secretary is a bad influence.
4. Why do we see no interaction between the king and the Queen? :/
Thanks!
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WishfulToki
June 24, 2017 at 8:20 AM
1. Yeok clearly did not intend to keep his promise, which is why I was annoyed at him for complaining that she didn't keep her promise, when in fact all he's done is force her away from him. That said, it's hard to know if these characters mean what they say...
2. I'm not surprised that the king knew Im had 'killed' his brother. I guess he saw it as water under the bridge and was glad that someone else had solved the 'problem' for him. That's why I never saw Yeonsangun as innocent. He tacitly approved of the murder.
3. Lord Shim seems more like the quiet type of supporter. He doesn't gossip, so he'd never say 'Chona, that secretary dude you have beside you is bad news.'
4. Because he didn't care for his wife at all.
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Shimshim
June 24, 2017 at 11:45 PM
yeah.
I'm with you regarding Yeok's behaviour. Dude better sort out his issues. lol
But I'm not convinced with Lord Shin being a silent supporter when he's shown to have such strong moral compass.
Hye Mi
June 24, 2017 at 8:33 AM
I'll try at this, though I might not know the best answers :D
1. I'm left mystified at this too. The only explanation that I can think of that is in line with the story so far is that Yeok prioritises taking revenge, and he specifically wants everyone to believe that he's dead. Maybe he understands CK's naivety and doesn't want to let her know before he's got everything ready. I guess he was both surprised and overjoyed seeing her at the inn, had it not been the presence of Yeonsangun. The situation and misunderstanding made him push her away. If Yeonsangun had not been there, I guess he would want to reunite with her there and then too, or at least not push her away. However since we landed straight into that situation, such scenario never materialised and we couldn't see it. He however still kept the ring she gave him, and that alone convinced me that he only put his love on hold for a bigger cause, until the misunderstanding and subsequent push-and-pull happened.
2. That's a good question. Again this is purely my speculation, but I guess the reason why Yeonsangun kept the minister alive was because he (the minister) doesn't oppose Yeonsangun politically, and doesn't pose any threat to his position as a King. No matter how much Yeonsangun adores Yeok as a little brother, at the same time he's consumed by the fear that Yeok would take the throne away from him. Yeonsangun and Yeok share this love-hate relationship, and seeing how Yeonsangun suffers from inferior complex, resulted from his father's last words and the hidden will that would put Yeok on the throne at any moment it is revealed, I think his fear is stronger than his affection for his brother. Yeonsangun's psyche is really complex as depicted here, but I think he's both sad and relieved at Yeok's death, that's why he didn't punish the minister in his doings, because in a way his evil deeds helped relieve Yeonsangun's deepest fear. As for CK's torture, sure the King doesn't agree with the minister, but if we put ourselves in the officials' shoes, what she did was not right from their perspectives either. She helped a thief that stole from their households (because they didn't know it was all set up by the evil minister). Legally speaking she's an accomplice, and a sage King cannot kill an official on the basis that he punishes an accomplice by law. That would cause an outcry among other officials.
3. That is not clear to me (yet) either. I hope they will explore this further later.
4. Because the Queen is not the focus of the story :P. Actually I doubt the real Yeonsangun was a good, caring husband either. If he had enough time to fool around and take other women by force, and indulged himself around gisaengs and even turned the famous royal university then into a royal brothel, I doubt he paid her any more attention than occasionally nightly visits.
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Shimshim
June 24, 2017 at 11:54 PM
yeah. good points.
I think Yeok himself wasn't sure of what he wanted from CK. So, his words even when they make no sense and are mean/hurtful are as much directed towards himself as CK. It's like, he's telling himself, this cannot happen again.
The King is brilliant in the scenes where he takes control of the court. If only he could take the court completely in his control rather than wait for them to throw something at him and then react to it. But then, we wouldn't have Yeok as king. lol
4. Woah. 7DQ seems to portray a very subtle image of him
54 junah
June 23, 2017 at 9:21 AM
I dont think the first 30 minutes came as strong as the previous episode, but it just escalated at last 15 minutes to might be the best episode so far. I am not a fan with how they served romance in this episode, especially when the main roles started to talk by themselves. It felt stupid and kill the moment for me. As much as i like CHG, i feel like she needs to grow up and understand a little bit. I mean, it is all sweet and anything for us to watch, but dont you feel bad about your family. You really put them in difficult position. I feel bad for her father. I know she is impulsive girl, but she needs to be less reckless and more aware about her family position knowing she is a grown up now. I must say i can not be proud of Yeok either, but i've got to admit his brilliant idea manipulatived the King. And i cant not say how much i praise the King in this episode. He might be cruel and frustratingly insecure but he definetely not a pushover and truly has some brain when dealing with his ministers. This might be out of topic, but i found LDG intentionally create this weird walk to emphasize his character. It feels like his other foot always left behind before the other. It makes him looks like people who get drunk. But maybe it is just me. Anyway, can not wait until next week. And how dows the rating so low ? Oh well, good rating does not equal good to watch either.
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55 Peridot
June 23, 2017 at 10:36 AM
I really like the familial interactions in this drama. They come across as genuine and tender: Lady Shin hitting her daughter for seeming to care so little for her own life and for wishing for death in front of her mother; the cute back and forth between Chaekyung and her nanny; and the sheepish expression of Lady Shin when she told her husband that she had already scolded her daughter (I like the way she was almost clinging to her husband in that scene). I also really love Park Min-young's overall performance. She was great in the scene where she was hanging on the cross and struggled to speak when she saw what appeared to be Yeok heading towards the trap. I love the way she just shook her head, barely audible words coming out of her mouth. All these little details just add more depth to the show. I even appreciate the rivalry and tensions among Secretary Lim, Deputy Commander Park, and Minister Shin.
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56 ramenqueen
June 23, 2017 at 12:58 PM
I find myself loving the soundtrack! I don't get how this show has much lower rating that Ruler which is such a hot mess right now.
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baghag
June 23, 2017 at 6:55 PM
Agree. Stopped watching Ruler already. Only watching QFSD & My Sassy Girl. ?
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Napkiin
June 24, 2017 at 4:57 PM
The OST is fantastic!
I have no idea why this drama has such average ratings, I've seen a few episodes of Ruler and I find it quite boring. I feel QO7D seriously deserves at least 8% viewership :(
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baghag
June 25, 2017 at 8:58 PM
Agree. I was expecting higher ratings for QO7D. Maybe it's because people are already expecting a tragic ending. In my opinion, everything about this drama is daebak. Storyline, acting even the OST is very good.
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57 tesshan
June 23, 2017 at 3:34 PM
I finally caught up with this drama. I guess Yeok decided it was time to face the king and play the politics game in order to first get rid of the minister that is on his tail and then of his brother...
I as well like the politics part in this drama and I am siding with the king...these ministers really deserve to be taught a lesson.
I was not really convinced by the "hanging from the pole scene"...I think I was expecting a bit more emotions from both main characters...not sure why.
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58 baghag
June 23, 2017 at 6:52 PM
Can I just say I really really love this drama. I love watching Yeok's tortured expression especially when he is trying to hide his love and concern for CK. I never really I'd be a fan of this drama since I'm not a fan of the lead actors & actress. I'm hoping CK doesn't end up dying. Did some research & I think she was just exiled in real life. Historians say she was the wife he loved deeply & According to historical legend, after the queen was dethroned and removed from the palace, the king would walk to the outside royal pavilion every day and sigh as he gazed at a mountain in her direction. After hearing this, she placed a red skirt, her favorite to wear in the palace, on a rock on the mountain face so he would know that she was well and that she still yearned for him.
Really looking forward to wed & thurs just to watch this drama. ❤️❤️❤️
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59 hannaehh
June 24, 2017 at 12:14 AM
Finally got a chance to catch up with 7DQ ep 8. I'm glad that most of beanies here are supporting Yeonsangun instead of Yeok. I also find myself favoring him since the beginning of the drama as I do not see him as crazy tyrant King. I feel sad for both of the royal brothers as they could have made a great royal team and rule the nation together if other ministers, the late King as well as the Queen Dowager didn't manipulate them to go against each other.
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tesshan
June 24, 2017 at 2:11 PM
I do wonder if the plotline will turn the King into a madman or not... I thought sooner or later they would make us hate him but it does not seem the case...
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60 PakalanaPikake
June 27, 2017 at 4:04 AM
Thanks for the recap, javabeans!
I think I see the method to Yeok's madness as he sashayed into the courtyard and hollered "Halt!"
Back at the pawnshop, he'd been poring over the tribute ledgers. That reminded me of the earlier scene in which Yeonsangun was angered that items were missing from the delivery -- allegedly because they were out of season. IIRC, black ramie fabric and a silver object were among the missing items. He replied that the items in question should have been produced in advance because they were requisitioned.
When Yeok arrived at the palace, what do we see behind him? Three or four carts loaded with freight. I'm willing to bet that the missing tribute had been skimmed by corrupt officials and found its way into the hands of the ministers who are now complaining that their houses had been burgled.
I have a sneaking suspicion that Yeok sent the Snail Brides out to recover the loot -- so he can return it before the deadline. I'm also willing to bet that he'll include an accounting of where each of the items was recovered. That will kill multiple birds with one stone. The tribute will be delivered, so the theft will be rectified, and guilty parties (or scapegoats framed to take the fall!) will be revealed. Or something along that line that leaves me with visions of HYANGDAN. Or a reverse-twist on Robin Hood in which the righteous thieves burgle stolen tribute and return it to the crown. ;-)
Myung-hye's possessiveness towards Yeok irritates the heck out of me. Her attempted poisoning of Chae-kyung landed her permanently on my persona non grata list. I loved how Seo-No set her straight as to why Chae-kyung was so important to Yeok -- and what she would have to do to truly assist him. Zing!
I relished Yeonsangun's dressing down of the ministers. I would not call them incompetent. Intransigent, greedy, self-interested, hypocritical, traitorous, recalcitrant. But not incompetent.
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61 Pei
June 27, 2017 at 8:09 PM
After all Yeonsangun version in several dramas and movies, LDG version of Yeonsangun is the most appealing to me. I can't help to falling in love with Yeonsangun! He was a loving brother (and still is deep inside), and he tried his best to be a worthy king. Hence his father, the late king favors his little brother than him and that makes him want the throne more than ever just to prove that he can be a good king. Which is hard to achieve when most of his ministers is corrupted, everyone want to manipulated him for their own benefits, no wonder he gone mad.
Now, highlights for this episode :
1. Yeonsangun kind of forced evil minister to be his foodstool. That evil minister deserve it! The evil minister sure push the wrong button this time, he's just push it too far. One good way to put the evil minister back to his place
2. Yeonsangun save Chaegyung and nursing her (even only for few minutes in screen). Omg, I really want Chaegyung to be with Yeonsangun! Chaegyung not only manage to gain his trust but she also brings out the best of Yeonsangun quality! When you see this gentle side of Yeonsangun caring for Chaegyung despite he know she's hiding something....awww...how can you not falling for Yeonsangun?!
3. Yeok appearance at the end of this episode. Yeok is taking his own way to get the throne, he did said that to his mother the Dowager Queen (I don't like her btw). I guess all beanies have guess that the fully loaded carts behind him is full with the missing tributes to the palace, and this can be a smart move to put all the corrupted ministers in silence. He can gain his royal title back and set a face-to-face in love & throne war with Yeonsangun.
We know where the history goes but I'm amazed with this version of Yeonsangun that shows us both good & bad traits of Yeonsangun (thanks to LDG). The tyrant Yeonsangun can be a loving brother, music and arts are his good trait but he also good in literacy too. He got the potential to be a good king, sadly history said the otherwise....
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62 bokjoo-yah
July 11, 2017 at 2:09 AM
Ugh, every episode breaks my heart...in a good way. (Is that even possible?) The story, actors, everything. I JUST LOVE IT. And that scene where Chae Gyung is trying to avoid the approaching Yeonsangun in a horse? It really broke my heart. I'm so torn between the two :( And...that part where Secretary Im handed those notes for every minister he stolen from, the King could have confirmed whether it was Yeok's handwriting or not. He was able to do that with the message attached in the arrow. Oh well. AAAH I love this showw
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