“My Dearest” bought a one-episode extension this week, stretching the narrative so as to add loads of turmoil as we head into the ultimate stretch. Lee Jang Hyun (Namgoong Min) and Yoo Gil Chae (Ahn Eun Jin) have by no means been happier collectively, however issues are getting worse and worse for them politically with a completely insane King Injo (Kim Jong Tae) on the unfastened and his scheming concubine Jo (So Yu Jin) able to kill everybody in her path. Here’s every little thing that spells doom for this beloved couple, whilst they fight their greatest to climate the intense storms coming their means.

Warning: spoilers for episodes 18-19 beneath.

1. The king’s homicide of the captives

Ascending the throne by way of a coup means you possibly can lose it by way of the identical, and King Injo is painfully conscious of this truth. The hassle is that he’s beneath the idea that his son, Crown Prince So Hyun (Kim Moo Joon), is gunning for his seat. Prince So Hyun tearfully tries to persuade him that this isn’t true, however Injo isn’t listening to it and refuses to permit the captives who’ve been farming so arduous for the prince to return to Joseon. The prince is devastated at being unable to maintain his promise, and Jang Hyun loses all religion within the prince upon listening to that he received’t maintain his phrase.

He tries to carry again the captives anyway with Ryang Eum (Kim Yoon Woo) and Goo Jam’s (Park Kang Sub’s) assist, with Goo Yang Chun (Choi Moo Sung) main them throughout the river onto Joseon land. Only, they’re surrounded by the king’s males and slaughtered. Jang Hyun fights again in shock on the king’s cruelty, however he’s knocked out, captured, and tortured on the palace. The captives loyally follow Jang Hyun’s story that he’s Yang Chun as a result of revealing his id implies that the king would have instantly linked Jang Hyun to the prince and would have accused the prince of treason as a result of his captives dared to battle again as a substitute of simply sitting and being killed. But the captives which can be introduced in with Jang Hyun are all murdered. And those that flee again throughout the river to the Qing empire (as a result of the invaders are actually safer than their very own nation) meet a very pissed off Gak Hwa (Lee Chung Ah).

2. Lee Jang Hyun’s promise to Gak Hwa

This was a horrible concept final week, and it’s come proper again to chunk Jang Hyun within the face as a result of Gak Hwa is not happy. Their deal was that she would be sure that the captives crossed the river safely onto Joseon land, and he would cross the river to her, they usually’d be collectively perpetually. Which is the worst deal ever. But as a substitute, all she will get are lifeless and dying captives returning and no Jang Hyun. She’s satisfied that he isn’t lifeless and decides to return to Joseon with Yong Gol Dae (Choi Young Woo) to search out him.

This is horrible for therefore many causes. Given King Injo’s paranoia, when Gol Dae and Gak Hwa begin requesting Jang Hyun as their interpreter, he’s going to imagine that Jang Hyun sides with the Qing. When he hears that Jang Hyun was tight along with his son, he’ll assume that Jang Hyun’s gunning for a coup. If the prince may someway persuade his father that he has no real interest in the throne, then maybe Jang Hyun would stand an opportunity. But he can’t. Because he’s lifeless.

3. The Crown Prince’s demise

At this level the prince has been a political prisoner for nearly on a decade. His well being has declined, and his father’s fixed accusations, belittlement, and spite didn’t assist. And one evening, he lastly breathes his final. And that’s when madness breaks unfastened within the palace.

Rather than grieve his son’s demise, the king accuses him of treason some extra, and with Concubine Jo’s affect, he accuses Prince So Hyun’s spouse Kang Bin (Jeon Hye Won) of homicide and planting a cursed object within the palace (in an effort to depose Injo). This was a standard accusation made towards girls within the palace. In the patriarchal Joseon-era, poison and magic had been seen as girls’s weapons, and males had been solely pleased to imagine the worst, regardless of how baseless or ridiculous the accusations had been. The factor is that the accusations aren’t fully false this time. A girl did bury a “cursed” object on palace grounds hoping for the demise of a royal member of the family. Only that lady was Gil Chae.

Some months in the past, Gil Chae tried to promote Concubine Jo some knives. Instead, Jo noticed somebody she may use and destroy: a divorced lady who had as soon as been dragged away by the Qing. Someone nobody would care about. She pressures Gil Chae into burying the item on palace grounds, and Gil Chae solely agrees as a result of she’s heard that they’re torturing Jang Hyun within the palace and desires to rescue him. She buries it and manages to see him being carted out for disposal, half-dead. She’s so ridiculously courageous that she not solely smears blood over herself and performs lifeless in a pile of corpses so she will save him, however she additionally bludgeons a eunuch to make their getaway.

Jang Hyun’s barely aware, they usually’re assisted by one other eunuch who helps take Jang Hyun to Gil Chae’s place. But by morning, the palace has tortured that eunuch too to disclose the place “Yang Chun” has gone. The eunuch bravely holds out, directing the troopers to Gil Chae’s place however denying that Gil Chae was part of any of it. And that permits Ryang Eum to move Jang Hyun to the house of Minister Kim Ja Jeom (Kim Min Sang), who’s sick of the king’s nonsense. But how does one battle a corrupt, merciless king when your nation can also be being invaded by one other corrupt, merciless monarch?

4. Jang Cheol’s and his students’ protest

“My Dearest” has been fairly practical in exhibiting us simply how sluggish political change was within the Joseon period. The king’s phrase was regulation, and ministers had been often torn between the king or the alternative they had been supporting. A king needed to mess up actually, actually badly to ensure that folks to think about a alternative. The indisputable fact that nobody has thought of deposing Injo regardless of his mass homicide of his personal folks speaks to how excessive the brink is. The Confucian beliefs enshrined in Joseon regulation dictated that the king got here from the heavens and due to this fact may by no means be questioned, particularly when mentioned king is beneath assault by a international ruler. This places everybody in a quandary as a result of it implies that a merciless king in a time of conflict can do something as a result of folks have to assist him over the international invaders.

Jang Cheol (Moon Sung Geun) has been a background participant for someday. His students, together with Nam Yeon Joon (Lee Hak Joo), concern King Injo however advise him anyway as a result of Confucian beliefs state that it’s higher for a smart man to supply an evil king counsel than to simply sit again and permit different evil males to supply an evil king counsel. But with the king torturing and killing harmless escapees, the students lastly take a stand exterior the palace and protest. This type of protest is supposed to reveal that the king has violated a Confucian preferrred, and the longer the protest goes on the extra unhealthy press the king accumulates as a result of students don’t protest calmly. Still, Yeon Joon is linked to Kyung Eun Ae (Lee Da In), who Gil Chae will all the time battle for. And with Injo able to kill everybody in his path, if he goes after the students, then Gil Chae is inside the line of fireside as soon as extra.

5. Jang Hyun’s previous and amnesia

Jang Hyun’s accidents are unhealthy. Both Gil Chae and Ryang Eum concern that he’ll die, however he pulls via. The hassle? He has amnesia. This is the worst Okay-drama trope of all time, particularly due to the reminiscences he relives whereas unconscious that point out that Jang Hyun is Jang Cheol’s lacking son! The present’s simply dropped a shock beginning secret on us! This total time it has appeared like Jang Hyun was a younger slave who grew up via talent and wit alone, however that’s not the case. He has a slave whom he named Ryang Eum (not the identical as our Ryang Eum) who was in love with Jang Hyun’s sister. Naturally, Jang Cheol was livid and beat the slave to demise, after which Jang Hyun seems to have run away and develop into the person we all know as we speak. That’s an enormous secret to drop, and Gil Chae’s nonetheless unaware. Jang Hyun’s reverted to a a lot youthful self and is a little bit awkward round her as a result of he doesn’t acknowledge anybody. But she’s pleased with that.

For as soon as, they’re two folks unburdened by the previous and are capable of snort and tease in methods they usually haven’t. Jang Hyun makes amnesia charming. The spell doesn’t final too lengthy, and he reverts to himself fairly rapidly by the top. But that also leaves them in fairly the pickle and solely two episodes left to listen to how this story ends. We have Gak Hwa and Gol Dae on the way in which to destroy Jang Hyun’s life. And there’s Concubine Jo who’s able to destroy Gil Chae’s life. The king has already poisoned his lifeless son’s spouse to demise after accusing her of treason, so he’s totally misplaced his thoughts. Jang Cheol is unaware that his son is alive however may very well be Jang Hyun’s final hope as a result of he has no highly effective backing in the mean time. Also, there’s the white-haired man we noticed within the first episode and all these males surrounding a weeping Jang Hyun on the seaside. Will subsequent week carry us agony or elation? One factor’s for positive, it’s been one heck of a trip.

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Shalini_A is a very long time Asian-drama addict. When not watching dramas, she fangirls over Ji Sung, and spins thrillers set in more and more implausible worlds. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and be happy to ask her something!

Currently Watching: “My Dearest,” “Moon in the Day,” “Song of the Bandits,” “Vigilante,” and “Twinkling Watermelon.”
Looking Forward to: “Gyeongseong Creature,” “Ask the Stars,” “Queen of Tears,” and Ji Sung’s subsequent drama.

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