You should remember Chekhov’s gun when watching movies, plays and kdramas.

When the camera zooms in on an object, the director is giving us a hint that it’s going to be relevant. A director wouldn’t waste production time, money, and energy to re-shoot an object from a different angle, if the object isn’t important at all.

Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the item is the Rosetta Stone that will resolve all confusion and misunderstandings. Sometimes, the director simply uses the object to foretell a major development related to the object. And sometimes, the director is trying to reveal or spotlight an aspect that the viewers might overlook.

1. Scars

Take for instance, the scars of the Captain on the scar of the dead-actor-who-wanted-to-be-king.

I already discussed this in my King’s Post. Just remember that the trivia that Chansung mentioned about the unblemished faces of Joseon’s kings and the closed-up shot of the scar on the actor did NOT have to be included in the script if the scar wasn’t necessary.

This Hong sisters’ drama is very tightly written. All the words count.

2. Wristlets

Then, there were the bracelets in Episode 8.

After Chansung rescued Mira from the water, they sat in a café. He gave her tips on how to get rid of ghosts. He said that she should spray herself with salt (he forgot that she already took a dive in salty sea water, lol) and warned her about staying late outside at night and staying alone.

Mira replied that he sounded like her grandma who nagged her to be always careful because of her karma. She explained to Chansung, “I still have in me what I had in my past life.”

Mira then showed him the bracelet the grandma had given her for protection. The camera focused on it.

She then cutely begged him, “Chanseung, I think I’m being haunted by a ghost. Stay with me during the night.”

Now, a few scenes later, we see Chansung being hugged by the spirit Kyungah, which the delusions of a lonely grandmother have conjured up. With her arms around her neck, she whimpered, “Min. You’ve returned! Min!”

Manwol eyed her suspiciously, and the camera zoomed in on the red bracelet. Most viewers naturally thought that she was just being suspicious.

After they’ve resolved the issue of the delusional spirit, Chansung and Manwol watch as the grandma “sent off” Kyungah in a bonfire. She burned burned all her “fantasy” creations, from letters and diary. Chansung observed her.

CS: It must have been hard for her, to get married without loving the man. Whether real or fake, at the time, it must have helped her cope.

Note: Is this a double-speak? Was it also hard for the Captain to get married without loving the Princess/Mira? Whether real or fake, at the time, his night drinking with Manwol, must have helped him cope. He told her at their last meeting at the lakeshore, “I guess there’s no reason for me to come back here again. If a good drinking buddy disappears, you’ll miss him.”

lol.

While Chansung was going all “bleeding heart” for the grandmother, Mira was viewing the same sight with hardened eyes. She was plotting on how to get rid of Mira. She’d already prepared the amusement park to (presumably) hide her in there but at the sight of the grandmother burning her possessions, she had an even better (or worse) idea.

It was the red bracelet of Kyungah, the delusional spirit, that “inspired” her next scheme.

MW: Generate evil thoughts and change reality.

Kyungah was a product of a happy delusion. She was patterned after a “modest and warm” lead female character from a movie that the grandma liked to watch early in her marriage, before she had her child.

She said, “When Kyungah was passionately in love, I was truly happy.” But Manwol reminded here, “The Kyungah you created still harbors evil thoughts…just like an old movie.” And the grandma agreed. She had been delusional when she created Kyungah.

She told Chansung that he was the favorite character of Kyungah. Manwol just scoffed, “What about the doctor? Kyungah was a serious two-timer.”

Note: I also thought that was a funny double-speak because the Captain was also a serious two-timer.

Despite Kyungah being a two-timer, she was created so the Grandma could escape her dreary reality.  Manwol realized that she too could duplicate the grandmother’s delusional spirit. However, this time, she’d create a spirit from evil thoughts to change reality.

I don’t know about you, but for me, when she said reality, there are two interpretations.

The first one is Mira’s reality. From the family photograph that Mira kept in her purse, Manwol gleaned that she was a product of a happy family. Manwol decided to alter her happy reality by instilling a thought in her — an evil delusion — that she was an unloved child. Unlike the grandmother who was comforted by her imaginary world of Kyungah, Mira would be depressed by her delusions of being unloved.

The second interpretation is Manwol’s reality. In her present reality, she was filled with grudges. But her evil scheme, this dastardly plan to curse Mira, would significantly alter her unhappy reality into a new “happy” reality.  She would satisfy her grudge and need for revenge. And she would wipe off that smile from Mira’s face.

Mira intended to generate an evil thought to alter her currently unhappy reality.

That’s why she took the bracelet. Just like the grandma who created Kyungah to escape her marriage, she was going to create a delusional and unhappy spirit of a child to alter realities for her and Mira.

But first, to accomplish her mission, the talisman/bracelet must be removed from Mira’s wrist.

That’s how the two bracelets are connected.

3. The car door handle

Grim Reaper to the Old Grandma: Since you’ve enjoyed great fortune for over 100 years, you won’t have any yearning.

Grandma nods and moves to the car. But as she touches the car door handle, Manwol speaks out of nowhere, “Are you just going to leave?

She approaches the Grandma.

MW: I noticed that your great grandson’s wife is in her late pregnancy. If you waited for a month or two, you could see your great-great-grandchild.
GR: She lived for 120 years. She has 8 children and 24 grandchildren. It’s unnecessary greed to wait until her great-great-grandchild is born.
MW: With such a cute grandchild, how cute will the great-great-grandchild be? You’ll regret a lot if you leave without seeing the baby.
GR: She lived for 120 years. You can’t be regretful for anything. (addressing the grandmother)

The grandmother scurries off back to the house. She’s made up her mnd: there’s a new baby she wants to wait for and see. The Grim Reaper blames Manwol for this change of plans.

GR: Why do you stop a dead person from leaving in peace?
MW: Did I stop her from leaving? No, it was the great-great-grandchild.

The point here is regret. The grandmother is ready to leave but her sudden sense of regret makes her stay her hand and delay her departure.

That’s the same for Manwol, too. Notice how even the small details work out.

She’s ready to be dropped off, whether at the hotel or into the river of death. But as soon as she touches the car door handle, she stops herself. For a brief instance, she too wants to wait for someone to come with her.

Will he come, too?

Ma Go doesn’t answer her and she gets on the car and returns to the hotel. Like the grandmother who hesitated and regretted missing out on her first great-great-grandchild, Manwol hesitates and regrets that Chansung isn’t coming with her.

4. The flower

Bonus! This one. lol. I’ll toss it here for you to think about on your own (or ignore). I already gave my opinion in a previous post so I won’t repeat myself here.

The flower on the Captain’s blue headband

The first flower on the tree. It’s blue.

From Episode 6. It bloomed after she remembered her encounter with the Captain at the Lakeshore. (at 1:07:07 mark)

And here’s another view of the blue flower, from Episode 7. She finished remembering that encounter with the Captain outside the Palace gate. She looked up and saw the blue flower.

She wondered, “Am I really going to get pretty and colorful? Gu Chan Seong is probably going to brag if he sees this.” (at 4:01 mark)

Have fun looking for your own Checkov’s gun!! Share it here when you have time.