This is not a recap. If you want a recap, please go to the other sides with legit play-by-play retelling of the story. This is just for people who are madly waiting for the subs to come out.

Word for the day: patbingsoo

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The episode opens with ninja whirlwind called Nokdu. He sees Dongjoo in a chokehold and he spins and hacks his way through the enemy line. What’s funny is he elbows Yulmo out of the way. Rude!

He kills the giant and he lays DongJoo tenderly on the ground. He stands up to face an army of these mercenaries. For a glorious 30 seconds, he’s the Korean equivalent of Chuck Norris.

But then after he kills the first 100 men, another 2,000 rises up ready to face him. Yulmo comes out from behind them.

Nokdu: Ah. I see you’re their leader.
Yulmo: You didn’t think I came to make patbingsoo for the gisaengs, did you?
Nokdu: Get out of here. We need more shaved ice.
Yulmo: I will as soon as I take Dongjoo.
Nokdu: Over my dead body.
Yulmo: Yours and DongJoo’s dead body. She comes with me or she’s dead with you.

Nokdu lets him take her. It’s like the judgment of Solomon who tested two mothers. The mother who let the baby so she could live was the real parent.

Yulmo carries DongJoo in his arms but he lets the fighting continue. He’s officially the bad guy here. I don’t care how many patbingsoo he gives out for free.

The next scenes are the fight scenes. To cut the long story short:

Nokdu’s suitor valiantly comes to the aid of the gisaengs. One of the fat lady guards come to help him but she, too, is soon overpowered. Nokdu’s Master comes out and saves them both.

The lead assassin, Sookie, and the female assassins return and fend off the bandits. But Sookie and her assassins are soon surrounded. They’re injured, too.

Nokdu comes out to save them. He kills their leader and the rest scatters.

Meanwhile, DongJoo is tucked in bed by Yulmo. As soon as Yulmo leaves to get patbingsoo-flavored medicine for her, she wakes up and returns to the village. She conveniently returns to widowers’ village AFTER the fight is done. She sees Nokdu standing in front of the  village people.

No. Not these Village People.

They’re all shocked to see that Widow Kim is Nokdu.

Village People: You’re Widow Kim?
Nokdu: Yes.
Village Administer: But I loved you!!
Nokdu: Yes.
Village People: But we took a bath together!
Nokdu: Yes.
Aengdu: Don’t you dare kill my orabeoni…errr…my unnie.
Nokdu: This is all my fault. They came here looking for me.
Village People: But you saved us tonight.
DongJoo: (running) Nokduuuu. Thank goodness you’re alive. Are you okay?
Nokdu: coughing up blood) Of course. This is nothing. It’s just a little a scratch. I’ll live.

He dies.

Or rather the Head Gisaeng dies. She helps the rest of the Village People leave the place. Sookie, the Head Assassin, is staying behind. She leaves the Head Gisaeng.

The Head Gisaeng is captured by the King’s men. Sookie wants to save her but the Head Gisaeng signals not to attempt any daring rescue. Then an arrow comes out of nowhere and kills the Head Gisaeng. It’s Yulmo’s assassin. Of course, he has to take out the Head Gisaeng because she’s the one who can directly link Yulmo to the attack.

Flashback to Sookie’s relationship with the Head Gisaeng. She was rescued by the Head Gisaeng who was the original leader of the Moowaldin.

Next interesting scene:

DongJoo takes care of an injured Nokdu.

Nokdu: Don’t leave me. Promise me to stay here and take care of our little chicks until they’re good enough to eat.
DongJoo: Yes, I promise to raise them as if they’re our own children.

He holds hands with her and keeps her hand to his chest as he drifts off to sleep.

He wakes up to find that he’s actually holding YeolGum’s hand.

With this scene, I hereby declare Yeolgum as one of the good guys.

Yeolgum >>> Yulmo

Nokdu recuperates. Days pass and he talks to his Master about going to Hanyang. I think he knows that DongJoo has left for Hanyang because he overheard her talking about leaving to his Master.

He’s telling his master that he must follow her.

Nokdu: I must follow her to Hanyang.
Master: She isn’t coming back. Her goodbye was final.
Nokdu: I go wherever she goes because I haven’t told her the real story about me.
Master: You mean, the tale of Nokdu? What if you aren’t Nokdu?
Nokdu: She still needs to know.

In Hanyang.

She sets up business as a make-up artist to the noble ladies. Cool. She’s got experienced after working at the gisaengs’ house.

Nokdu and his ragtag family-in-law arrive in Hanyang, too. He’s carrying a basket with their baby chicks. (What? I thought those chicks would have been rotisserie after the village burned down. Oh well.)

Yeulgum follows him and invites him and his family to stay with them. He buys them clothes. He’s again smitten by how pretty Nokdu is in gentleman’s garbs.

Nokdu visits the swing where he and Dongjoo had that picture-perfect afternoon on the swing. Then the king comes and rides on it to Nokdu’s surprise. Nokdu doesn’t notice him waving off his royal guards.

Nokdu: Aren’t you too old for this swing?
King: I don’t see any age requirement.
Nokdu: True. Okay. I’ll wait for my turn then.
King: Swings are great for clearing one’s mind.
Nokdu: True. But sometimes you don’t need a clear mind but a clear path.
King: So what are you going to do?
Nokdu: Get to work and clear the path.

He turns to leave but the King stops him.

King: You look familiar. Are you from here?
Nokdu: No. I’m just passing by Hanyang.

Note 1: the King has traveled around the land unrecognized by his people. Remember his conversation with the kid who told him to squash the insect bug?The boy didn’t know he was king. THAT’s also why we, viewers, were confused in Episode 1. We thought it was the king riding the carriage when he was actually riding on the horse.

Nokdu returns to Minister Yoon’s side for their unfinished business. The Minister brings him to his foster father. They have an Kodak moment together. Nokdu asks him about the tall tale that his Hyung told him about being the King’s son.

Nokdu: What’s this story Hyung’s telling me about being the secret son of the King?
Dad: That’s fake news. Don’t believe him.
Nokdu: Then tell me something I can believe in. Why are people being sent to kill us? They just killed the village of innocent widows.
Dad: They’re looking for the secret recipe for patbingsoo and soju. Leave them be.
Nokdu: No. This time you can’t stop me from finding the truth.
Dad: (coughing up his brain) Nokdu, I’m your father.

lol. I can’t wait till he sees his real father….

He leaves but Minister Yoon’s guards stops him.

Meanwhile, the King mulls over Nokdu’s words earlier at the swing.

Note 2: This is the second time that King will take Nokdu’s advice. The first time was in Episode 1.

He decides to go to Minister Yoon’s house uninvited. He pounds on the door.

His arrival distracts Minister Yoon’s guards and Nokdu escapes. The King charges into Minister Yoon’s house and discovers his two “trusted” allies talking. He trembling hand hovers on the hilt of his sword.

This would have been a perfect time for the King to join the Dark side.

But he can’t do it. He doesn’t kill them.

Jung YoonJoo bows down in greeting.

Note 3: The King is a good guy. Anybody else would have killed them off on the spot.

King:I thought you died.
JYJ: I did.
King: Minister Yoon said he killed you.
JYJ: He thought he killed me but on the third, I rose again.
King: You’re not the messiah. Cut it out. What about the baby? Is he dead, too?
JYJ: He’s dead.
King: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

He leaves and tells his people to serve them patbingsoo.

Nodku returns to their hut to his Master’s hut. He scares the Master again, just like he scared Aengdu that morning he was just sitting in a corner.

He feeds their baby chicks in the morning. Awwww. He updates them on DongJoo.

Nokdu: I know, right? She leaves you without even feeding you. She looks like she doesn’t care if you’ve become Popeye’s fried chicken or Bonchon chicken by now. But don’t worry. She’s just working hard to send us money for your chicken feed.

Dongjoo attends to two ladies. The ladies leave in a huff and see a children waiting for their turn at the swing. Nokdu is hogging the swing. He’s in dreamland.

The ladies tell him to give the kids a turn. As he leaves, one of the ladies falls into his arms and, just like that old Assassin lady, her heart flutters for him. She’s smitten but he ignores her after helping her up.

He goes to the bookstore and encounters the King once more.

King: We seem to be fated to meet each other.
Nokdu: Yes. Or we have similar past-times. I’m here because I like to read.
King: What kind of books?
Nokdu: Historical books on the art of making patbingsoo.
King: I think I might just have the thing for you. Why don’t you meet me later and I’ll give it to you.
Nokdu: Really. Sure. But why are you interested in helping me?
King: (leaves without answering)

Meanwhile, Dongjoo leaves her hut. She’s missing Nokdu badly. She puts on her shoes and she remembers him changing her wet sock. She imagines him putting her shoe on for her…just like in Cinderella.

She’s visited by the lady who fell in love with Nokdu the other day. The lady asks for her services to find this handsome gentleman. She describes Nokdu as a handsome man but her sketch of him is an ugly-ass caricature of Nokdu. DongJoo agrees and goes around in search of a distinguished looking gentleman.

She spots a handsome gentleman from a distance with the same regal aura described by the lovesick lady. It’s Nokdu, of course but she can’t see from afar. She chases after him.

When she grabs his arm, she sees that it’s an older gentleman. It’s the King.

She, too, doesn’t recognize the King, and arranges for the old gentleman to meet his ardent admirer at the swing later that night. To humor her, the King goes along with her plan. She leaves him to tell her lady the good news.

The King is on his way to meet Nokdu. He notices their similar outfit and laughs that they really do have similar tastes.

King: We’re wearing the same outfit.
Nokdu: Great minds think alike. Or perhaps we patronize the same tailor. Where do you go?
King: I’ve somebody from Hong Kong fly in to measure me. Mr. Pat Bing Soo of the Soo Tailor on Nathan Road. (#standwithHongKong)
Nokdu: Not bad. We look like father-and-son, don’t you think?
King: Yes. You’re my mini-me.

He hands Nokdu the gift he promised him earlier at the bookstore. Nokdu thanks him profusely for his generosity and leaves.

That night, Nokdu visits his foster dad and drops off something. No, not shaved ice for patbingsoo. Probably some ginseng for his health. Koreans are big on ginseng gifts.

I don’t know if it’s a trap but the King’s men are certainly keeping an eye on Jung YoonJoo’s place. They chase after Nokdu.

Meanwhile, at the swing, DongJoo waits with the lady for the King to arrive. The lady recognizes the king and says, “Shit! Why is he here?” She runs away, leaving DongJoo to apologize to the gentleman.

DongJoo: I’m sorry, my Lord. I don’t know what came over her. She disappeared on us. Sorry!

The King is befuddled. One of his guards comes up and tells him that Jung Yoo Joo had a ninja visitor.

DongJoo now walks the deserted street of the market. She notices the guards searching the streets and realizes that something’s up. She spots Nokdu in his ninja garb hiding in a cart, and decides to help him by sending the guards to the wrong direction. Nokdu grabs her inside a building.

Nokdu: What are you doing here?
DongJoo: Long time no see, Nokdu.
Nokdu: I’ve something to tell you.
DongJoo: Now? Can’t it wait. The guards are outside.
Nokdu: I’ve to tell you now before it’s too late.

She accidentally knocks off a bowl from the shelf. Sigh, this trope is getting old, but at least, it wasn’t shelves of pottery just like in “Flower Crew.”

Outside, the guards hear the noise. The door of the barn opens and a man walks in with a lamp. His shoes are too pretty to be the guard’s shoes.

It’s the King, and he sees Nokdu and Dongjoo hiding behind the shelves. That’s where this episode ends.

Patbingsoo, anyone?

lol. I know that isn’t a patbingsoo, but a bibimbap. Just like I know this isn’t a recap but a madcap.

From what little I understood of the conversation (about 10%) I think Nokdu and DongJoo have gained the interest of the King, and the King would not be unkind to them. The King seemed to be a man who could be reasoned with.