@flying_tool commented:

Yeonwoo: “You should live as a traitor, then Manwol can live.”

I thought this was the Captain talking to himself because YW saying it doesn’t make sense to me. If YW said it to the Captain, when/why/where did he say it?

If after the raid, the betrayal has already taken place, and the only possible result of keeping MW alive is her coming after the princess and the captain until either MW is dead or the princess and the captain are dead. The …then… clause doesn’t make sense. And what does YW have to bargain with – the Captain has already won the princess and captured the rebels.

If before the raid, this makes YW complicit in the betrayal. Do I believe that? Heck no.

What am I missing?

My post bewildered you, eh? Mission accomplished then. 🙂

It’s Yeonwoo’s voice. We don’t know the context and the timing. But here are my notes to fill you in.

Context: Was Yeonwoo telling the Captain to betray the Princess or Manwol?

A. To betray the Princess = Captain would quit being Captain and join the nomad’s revolt to repair a broken nation. Manwol would “live” because he’d be there by her side to protect her.

Remember, he already offered to go with her. He said he’d put his life on the line if she asked him to.

MW: This is the last time we’ll spend time together. I’m leaving soon.
Capt: Are you thinking of joining the nomads’ revolt?
MW: We’re going to repair a broken nation. It’s better than stealing from here and getting caught and killed.
Capt: Come to the castle. I can watch over you.
MW: You’re telling me that I should ditch my friend and go with you? (standing up) I can’t go.
Capt: (grabbing her wrist) Then should I go with you? (she doesn’t answer) If you hold on to me sadly, then I will try to put my life on the line.
MW: (stares at him). Don’t. There’s no way we can be together.
Capt: (letting go) That’s right. I guess there’s no reason for me to come back here again. (gets wine bottle) If a good drinking buddy disappears, you’ll miss him.

B. To betray Manwol = The Captain would make Manwol hate him so much that Manwol would leave him and go on “living” without him. Collateral damage: the Princess, the soldiers, and him.

This is the popular version. It’s romantic to think that the Captain planned to be killed by Manwol, so he goaded her when he  paid her a visit in the prison.

Captain: Thanks to you, I was able to achieve something big. Leading me to that place, and gaining some time, it’s all thanks to you. I’ll spare your life.
MW: I’m going to kill you. Mark my words, I’ll kill you.
Captain: If you want to kill me, you at least need to stay alive.

Note: either way, Yeonwoo’s primary concern here is Manwol’s survival.

Timing of Yeonwoo’s conversation with the Captain: Was it before or after the surprise raid?

A. Before the raid: if YW had spoken to the Captain before the raid, then seeing the Captain leading the attack was a sign that the Captain chose NOT to betray the Princess. Yoonwoo realized that Manwol had walked into a trap.

If you rewatch that forest scene, he didn’t seem to expect the Captain there. Everything was blurry and then it cleared up to show the Captain’s face. Then, YW lowered his chin and glared up at him.

B. After the raid: If YW had spoken with the Captain after he’d been captured (perhaps when he was in jail), then he was appealing to the Captain to, at least, find a way to spare Manwol’s life. Yeonwoo was willing to die but he wanted Manwol to live.

To me, that whole hairpin scene (starting with Chansung’s dream of the Captain waiting with the hairpin and ending with the Captain clenching his fist till he bled) revolves around the Captain’s traitor dilemma. “You should live as a traitor, then Manwol can live.”

Also, consider the theme of this episode: lifelines. That means, for a loved one, you put your life on the line.

The doctor did so, literally. He grafted on lifelines onto his son’s palm and arm, to prolong his life.

Yeonwoo also did so, literally. His life ended on a line of rope. He’d offered to give her his 100 years, although it would mean decreasing his own lifetime. And before he died, he smiled at her. (lol. Nobody’s giving this poor dope enough credit — because he isn’t handsome enough.)

Chansung put his life on the line so many times. That curse scene with Mira was especially moving. He took on Mira’s curse so Manwol would be saved from Mago 4’s punishment. But will he do so in the ultimate test?

That’s why we’d all like to think that the Captain put his life on the line for her, too. Everybody else did, so he necessarily must have done so.

Even though the sound of him drawing his sword from his scabbard is clearly audible in Episode 8 when they met at the bridal chamber (you did here it, didn’t you?), we’d like to think that he only drew his sword in self-defense and not to attack her.

Even though he had the hairpin in his hand, and he could have stabbed the Princess who was standing right beside him on that balcony, we’d like to think that he was just biding his time for the right moment to betray her.

Even though he made Manwol watch her much-beloved brother Yeonwoo’s execution and pushed her over the edge to commit mass atrocities, we’d like to think that his actions have no moral repercussions because he stayed by her side for 1000 years as the firefly.

Lucky him! Mira had to be reincarnated several times. Manwol had to atone for 1000 years. But he’s the Captain and he got dibs on being a firefly to watch over her. His rehabilitation is that easy romantic.

 

*****

I should be back in DC tomorrow.