From Episode 15.
Citylights asked:
Can someone explain how they understood the “mackarel” of Prime Minister Koo??? Im so confused! Is it because LG already traveled back in time thats why her mom’s memory changed? or is it because her mother is already switched? Please enlighten me. Thanks!
Holy Mackerel! I generally don’t like to stare eyeball-to-eyeball at my food but grilled mackerel looked yummy.
credit: as tagged
The mackerel was a pre-arranged code word between the Prime Minister Koo and her mother. Koo would ask her mother, “Mom, what did you eat for dinner?” and the Mom was supposed to answer “mackerel.” When the Mom didn’t answer “mackerel,” then Koo knew that she was speaking to an imposter, a doppelgänger, brought in by Lee Lim from the other world. Her real Mom was either switched or killed.
The Mom’s wrong answer had nothing to do with Lee Gon’s traveling back in time and changing memories.
You see, there were only TEN people whose memories were altered because of Lee Gon’s traveling back to 1994.
One, TaeEul. She GAINED new memories because he appeared in 1994 when she was 5 years, and 2016 when she was 27 years old. New memories were also added on when she met Lee Gon for the second time in 2019, and had a do-over of all the things she previously did with Lee Gon. i.e., she researched about Lee Gon, she went to the library with Lee Gon, she visited Lee Gon’s palace, she was abducted, she was rescued, and so on.
Two, Yeong. He also gained a new memory because Lee Gon dropped before the start of the regatta and prepared the White Rabbit jacket and pass key for Luna. Lee Gon also ordered him to search for Song Jeonghye’s whereabouts, and to team up with Kang ShinJae should he require assistance with the police.
Three, ShinJae. He gained a new memory because he saw Lee Gon inside the phonebooth in 2016.
Four, Lee Gon’s traitorous cousin gained a memory. He remembered being shot in the leg by a mysterious stranger who saw him helping Lee Lim with the gate. The cousin now limped.
Five, Lee Lim, obviously.
Six, Lady Noh, because she saw Lee Gon.
Seven to Ten, the four Royal Guards, who tried to stop Lee Gon. But they’re irrelevant.
That’s it. Lee Gon’s time travel to 1994 affected only the memories of those people because he came in direct contact with them. He went by unnoticed because:
a) he was wearing a black outfit (thanks to TaeEul!) that made him blend in.
b) he made sure he kept out of the way of most people.
He didn’t meet Koo’s Mom so her memory of their code word, “mackerel,” shouldn’t have been erased.
From Episode 16.
@Dreamer asked multiple questions. I’ll answer two.
A few burning questions that I hope some of you here can help me out with:
1) Why did the events at the night of treason play out differently? Was it because LG and JY had already killed Prince Buyeong’s son?
I believe the events played out differently because each one “embraced” the fate that was meant for them, and in doing so, they altered the course of history. In the previous loops, it had only been Lee Gon trying to change the past. This time, Yeong, ShinJae, TaeEul and even Lady Noh, did their part to help Lee Gon.
We were given a foreshadowing in Episode 15 when Lee Lim asked Lee Gon
LL: I even transcended death, but how is it that I’m unable to avoid you? How did you find me here?
LG: It’d be easy if it were just me. But I’m not alone.
Lee Gon meant that it would have been easy for Lee Lim to dodge him had Lee Gon been alone in going after Lee Lim. But he had help from unlikely quarters.
LG: (continuing) Someone sets the time, someone chases after you, someone prays for you to get caught, and someone is going to fight you.
We would discover in Episode 16 that these were prophetic words. Let’s go over each one, shall we?
a. Someone sets the time: this should have been SinJae. He was supposed to bring back Lee Lim to the portal at the appointed time, so Lee Gon could go back to 1994.
SJ: No, I’ll go. I just have to go with this jerk?
Yeong: Your Majesty, I’ll get rid of the traitor with my own hands.
SJ: I told you many times: get lost and go to your own world. Give me the piece. When should I go?
However, TaeEul begged him to give her the half-flute. He didn’t want her to go because he loved her, and he was scared for her.
But in the end, he embraced his unrequited love as his “fate” and let her go. Giving TaeEul the flute changed the outcome.
b. Someone chases after you: this was supposed to be Yeong. From the start, Lee Gon assigned Yeong to go after Lee Lim. That’s why Yeong was left in Korea, remember?
Then, on the night of the treason, Lee Gon wanted to go alone again but Yeong wouldn’t quit his side. He was waiting for Lee Gon at the bamboo grove.
Yeong: Where are you going this time?
LG: Yeong.
Yeong: Don’t even think about it. Wherever you go, you can’t go alone. I will go with you. No matter where it is, whichever battlefield it is. Even more so if it’s somewhere you can’t return from.
Then, when they arrived at the palace, Lee Gon again tried to ditch him.
Yeong: Tell me what needs to be done. I’ll lead the way.
He was leading the way so he would be targeted instead of Lee Gon. If you rewatch that scene, you’ll notice that when they entered the great hall, he moved up in front of Lee Gon, and the camera followed him to show him taking the bullets for Lee Gon.
LG: The traitors will arrive here in about 20 minutes. Yeong, I want you to stay here and stop them from getting away. Shoot them all down as soon as you spot them.
Yeong: Then, will you be going to Cheongjongo alone?
LG: If I fail my mission at Cheongjongo, you must kill Lee Lim at all costs.
See that? Yeong was supposed to hunt down Lee Lim. But Yeong protested.
Yeong: Your Majesty, what on earth are you planning to do? Don’t tell me…No. No way.
LG: This is my last order.
Yeong: Forgive me, Your Majesty. I must go to Cheongjongo. I must protect my King. That is my duty.
There! He, too embraced his “fate.”
LG: You cannot. Yeong. This is our last chance.
Yeong: The same goes for me. This is my last chance to protect Your Majesty.
LG: (voiceover) I hoped everything would unfold exactly the same as it did that night.
Yeong: Take care, Your Majesty.
He said this because he was going in front, and Lee Gon was bringing up the rear. He bowed and he ran ahead.
LG: (thinking) At what point did things start to change?
It started changing when the individuals decided to “embrace their fate,” to take courage, to do what needs to be done, and to run and walk to their destination. He left his sword by the gate because he intended to bring it with him to chase after Lee Lim. Then he chased after Yeong.
LG: (voiceover) Beautiful equations are always simple.
Then, there were flashbacks.
TaeEul: Not everyone in the world can be brave so I decided to be brave.
In the flashbacks, we saw the brave people who helped Lee Gon along his path, like Eunsub who took a bullet for him, ShinJae who offered to bring Lee Lim although it might mean he’d get stuck in No Man’s Land, and Lady Noh who always dreaded his departure but bore with it with patience.
LG: (voiceover) Tonight, I’m not alone. We just haven’t reached our destination yet.
After Lee Gon chased after Lee Lim, and Yeong tended to the young Lee Gon, he realized what it meant to be the “Unbreakable Sword.” King Arthur always had his Excalibur with him. He wielded it in battle and it never broke. It was a source of his strength and victory. For Lee Gon, Yeong was the personification of Excalibur.
C. Someone prays for you to get caught: this was Lady Noh. She embraced her fate from the beginning. If she had her way, she would have preferred to confine Lee Gon within the safety of the palace walls. But she knew that Lee Gon had to follow his destiny, so she let him go each time. All she could do was wait and pray for his safe return.
D. Someone is going to fight you: And this one was TaeEul. She was fighting alongside Lee Gon, in a parallel world.
Lee Gon knew all along that he would end up fighting Lee Lim. He said so himself, “That is why God had left the mark on my shoulder. It was so I would follow my destiny. How selfish.” He embraced his fate.
But he didn’t know that TaeEul, too, was embracing her fate. She was his equal in this battle between good and evil. Shooting, slashing and beheading, Lee Gon presented the physical side of the struggle. On her part, TaeEul presented the mental and psychological toll of the conflict. Lee Lim was questioning her decision to side with Lee Gon. He wanted her to waver and give up on the cause. He didn’t understand why she was risking her life for Lee Gon’s mission, when the success of his mission meant her oblivion. Her memories would be erased.
She had nothing to gain, and everything to lose.
LL: So, what’s your plan?
TE: I will wait until Gon stops you in the past and puts everything back in its place. If he fails, I will stop you.
I just like how this couple are on the same wavelength despite being in two worlds. In 1994 Corea, Lee Gon ordered Yeong to stop Lee Lim 3.0 at the gate if he failed to kill Lee Lim inside the Cheongjongo. Here in this 2020 No Man’s Land, TaeEul was going to kill Lee Lim 2.0 herself should Lee Gon fail his mission. Without waiting for Lee Gon give her the directive, she knew what she had to do.
LL: But if my nephew restores order, your memories of him will be gone.
TE: That’s why I’m heartbroken. All those radiant memories are engraved deep in my heart.
Heroic woman! She wasn’t going to let Lee Lim intimidate her. She was admitting that she’d be grief-stricken to lose her memories of Lee Gon. Nevertheless, she still wanted Lee Gon to restore order and Lee Lim to die. This was the psychological warfare. Lee Lim wanted her to question the mission. He could escape his punishment if he made her waver.
And note here: Lee Lim tried this trick with Lee Gon earlier. From Episode 15:
LG: I cannot hear the flute. The Manpasikjeok isn’t crying.
LL: You have eternity and infinity in your hands now. Don’t be absurd. Of course, it’s not crying. It’s whole again at last. Forget about the treason. We should go inside. Just the two of us.
Eternity = time = won’t die
Infinity = space = will rule all worlds, Korea, Corea and anything in between
In other words, they would be equal to the gods once they possessed both eternity and infinity.
To me, what’s insidious about LL’s demand is that he still wanted to co-own this eternity and infinity with Lee Gon. He shamelessly thought he had a legitimate claim to this enormous power because he owned half of the flute. After all the death and destruction he caused, he had no remorse.
LG: It’s not crying. If it doesn’t cry, I can’t go back to the night of the treason. I must make the crack again.
ShinJae: You mean you have to give him back his piece?
LL: I don’t need it anymore. It’s finally whole again. Eternity and infinity are waiting for us in there, and you’re just going to use that to go back to the night of the treason?
LG: I don’t need eternity and infinity. You will never see nor own that place.
LL: You fool.
For Lee Gon on the other hand, there was no co-sharing of power with Lee Lim. He didn’t care about this power from the flute. It was more critical for him to return to that fateful night and stop Lee Lim. Lee Gon wanted a “do-over” to correct and return everything the way it was before LL started his catastrophe. But the “do-over” would require sacrificing his love and delaying their happiness. That’s why he asked the gods, “How far do you want me to go? How far?”
So just like Lee Gon chose to sacrifice and put on hold his happiness for the greater good, TaeEul also chose to sacrifice her happiness and to believe in Lee Gon’s promise that he would come for her. Lee Lim tried to test her resolve, but like Lee Gon, she had an unshakable faith.
That’s what she displayed here:
LL: (smirking) You can’t shoot here. Here, everything is at a standstill.
TE: How do you know if no one’s ever tried to fire a gun here before?
That’s REAL faith right there. People often use the words “belief” and “faith” interchangeably. But philosophically speaking, belief is when you can PROVE something to be true by using logic, reasoning, or evidence. You can say, “I believe the sun will rise tomorrow” or “I believe he’s handsome” or “I believe in God.”
Faith, on the other hand, is when you CANNOT prove or demonstrate that something is true by using logic, reasoning, or evidence. In TaeEul’s case, Lee Lim was telling her that she couldn’t shoot him because everything is at a standstill inside No Man’s Land. Lee Gon told her the same thing, remember? Lee Gon told her that the balloon didn’t move. But TaeEul chose to defy their observations and put her faith in something that hasn’t been demonstrated to be factual, real or true.
Later, when Lee Lim’s flute disappeared in TaeEul’s hand, Lee Lim mistakenly assumed that he won.
LE: Why did the Manpasikjeok…I must have obtained the whole Manpasikjeok. Finally, I got my hands on the whole Manpasikjeok. If mine is gone, the other half that my nephew had is probably gone, too. What now? This means that Lee Gon can never come back. And you’re stuck here with me for eternity.
LL: I suppose my dear nephew has failed seeing how I’m still alive and well.
TE: No, you’re not. If Gon has failed, you won’t be for long.
Here, TaeEul was speaking with bravado. This reminded me of Lee Gon praising her, “When courage is needed, she becomes a warrior.”
She tried to shoot but the gun wouldn’t go off.
LL: (laughing) I must say it’s quite entertaining to watch how foolishly hopeful you are. But I’ll no longer tolerate your insolence.
TaeEul pulled the trigger again, and this time, Lee Lim was shot at point-blank range.
A note on the plant emerging: TaeEul had always expressed faith in the supernatural element of the No Man Land. Lee Gon told that the place couldn’t be explained scientifically, and that there wasn’t wind, rain, sun, and a different time existed in there. But TaeEul insisted that a plant would grow in there in spite of the harsh condition.
The plant that sprouted in Episode 14 didn’t come from the lily seeds that she planted. Remember: it grew when her photograph fell to the ground.
Also, the plant that grew in her flowerpot at home in Episode 16 didn’t sprout because she had been watering it all that time. No, it just grew when she thought all was lost.
To me, they grew out of hopelessness.
Did you get it?
When she felt that her love was most hopeless, and when she reached the nadir of her misery, that was when the flowers would bloom. The flowers mean “hopeless love.” They wouldn’t bloom when there was still of vestige of hope remaining.
🙂
In summary, then, the outcome of Lee Gon’s actions on night of treason was radically altered from previous time loops, because everything – and EVERYBODY – came together at the right time, and right place. You can say that all the puzzle pieces came together when all important individuals embraced their fate.
To me, it’s ridiculous to credit Prince Buyeong’s son for the final resolution. It misses the point that the writer was trying to tell us.
Here’s @dreamer’s second question.
2) I know we’ve deduced that there was a time loop going on but has it been confirmed by the show that LG was trapped in a time loop all this while? In that sense, the first saviour we saw in Episode 1 might be the nth time LG went back to 1994? On one hand, that doesn’t seem right because TE doesn’t recognise him at Gwanghwamun at the end of Episode 1. But then, what can explain the appearance of that “initial” saviour?
With all honesty, I’m getting tired of explaining this time-loop. It seems like I’ve done nothing but answer questions about it since I first brought it up nine weeks ago. The questions have become repetitive.
I’ve been toying with the idea of spam blocking newbie posters with questions on time-loop. 😉
If we were going to go backwards in this time…
This was Lee Gon’s final attempt to be his “savior.” I’ll call it his Last Time or X. He picked up his gun at the gate.
In fact, he called this time his “Last Chance.”
This was the penultimate attempt to be his savior. Penultimate means second to the last. Let’s call it (X – 1).
This was third to the last attempt to save himself or (X – 2). He didn’t have a gun with him until he was walking down the hallway.
Goodness knows how many times he’s looped around to do this because they couldn’t remember anything.
But as I explained before, whenever TaeEul sensed that their time was limited, that was her mind unconsciously remembering the past. It was like deja-vu.
Also, whenever TaeEul started talking about skipping, that was her mind unconsciously remembering that she’d “been there, done that.”
Lastly, when TaeEul just moved away defensively from Lee Gon instead of kicking his groin was her body saying that Lee Gon wasn’t a guy she distrusted.
As for Lee Gon, his obsession about her hair-tying is a sign that he knew her before.
@C asked:
Did I miss it? Why were they keeping palm leaves in the suitcase?
I think the ladies here already gave an answer. @JT7, @Maximess, @Say08, @Fern, and @Ceeuu mentioned the palm leaves in associating with traveling to the Stone Age.
The palm leaves might come in handy in case TaeEul and Lee Gon’s portal transported them to the prehistoric age where they would need to wear palm leaves to blend in with the natives.
I like how she was clutching it to her chest. She was protecting her ta-tas.
Of course, they could always turn up in Eden and become Adam and Eve, or something…
But I could tell right away how innocent most of you are. 🙂
My first thought was that LeeEul and Lee Gon’s portal opened up in a NUDIST BEACH, so they had to strip naked.
***************
I have more to post. Let me pace myself. 🙂
I live for your interpretation of scenes! You’re just so very observant and articulate. I’m in complete unison with every line you’ve written in this post! However, one thing has been constantly bugging me (and I’m hoping that you’ll address my query): which combination of events and/or outcomes led to LG’s visit to JTE at the end of episode 10? Since “he was walking in frozen moments in time” back then, he clearly failed in his endeavour so how did he manage to time-travel and meet JTE?
And if he visited her before he went on about his quest, how did he time-travel to that point in time since the flute (when “whole”) only takes you to the moment when you wish to save yourself? Can you please dissect that scene for me!
LOLOL 🤣 @pkml3 Nudist 🏖️ Beach!!! 🤪
That was good! Also your interpretation of the Hopeless Love. I’d forgotten what the flower was supposed to mean. I was still stuck on the Imaginary Flower or Magic/Resurrection Lily.
I like that you’ve brought in all the important people who helped LG across time and space, just like it happened in Signal. At least that’s 1 theme that didn’t disappear without getting addressed!!! But it’s still so obscure. Most viewers are going to miss this entirely and think the Signal clue was another red herring. *much sighing*
I am truly amazed. Today’s post gave me deeper understanding of episode 15 & 16. Really wow.
I was never confused with the Mackerel password to begin with. And I love that TE went with LL to make sure that if LG fail to stop past LL, she would kill present LL with her gun.
Good gracious me😄 I have been labelled an innocent!😂😂 I never ever thought of them landing into a nudist beach! You made me laugh so hard at night here that my other half starred me down in bed!
I knew I could trust in you @packmule3 for your succinct answers and clear overview of this story. You picked up clues that were forgotten and waylaid even and made then relevant again.
When you said “No it just grew out of hopelessness” “The flowers mean ‘hopeless love’. They wouldn’t bloom when there was still a vestige of hope remaining” I was literally blown away.
And you answered my silent grumble as to why the sword was left at the red gate.
I will have to rewatch again that gun scene of Yeong and Lee Gon when Yeong moves forward. It makes sense now for Yeong to take the bullets for his King. He Is the Unbreakable Sword. I just thought he was hit randomly.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for writing up such beautiful answers! And for the posts you wrote for eps 14 and 15 too. I have been so busy following up on all the posts that I got sidetracked into forgetting to thank you 😬. It’s hard work writing!
Looking forward to the rest of your beautiful answers. Good night.
Thanks, Packmule! I didn’t realize TE was waiting at the gate to kill both LLs as a failsafe until my second viewing. Made me feel dumb and also made TE seem much more clever haha. And I like that waiting (very Zero the Hero) was the smartest move – it helped me feel better about her not actively fighting at the night of treason. The thing TE wanted the most was to be with LG and stop him from being lonely. But she put the success of the mission first. It didn’t end up being necessary because LG got the flute, but I love the idea that she was ensuring a good outcome even in the midst of a lot of pain.
Random thought I had thanks to this post – the four people that helped LG can represent the Four Tiger Sword. Maybe it wasn’t so much the sword but the fact that LG was not alone, thereby representing his use of a Four Tiger Sword, that changed his fate. I noticed that TE and Lady Noh in separate scenes had a close up shot where they were looking at the sword where it rested in LG’s room. I wonder if JY has a similar shot in the series – that would be pretty cool and would be a nice foreshadowing of this bit of lore playing out.
It’s been really fun theorizing in this blog! Thank you for creating and maintaining this site, even when I’m guessing it’s a pretty time consuming thing to do. It is very appreciated, for as long as you decide to do it *thumbs up*
I’m going to react to this article in a funny way, because now I’m very relaxed and I don’t need to kill myself with this drama anymore.
Okay, even before, that didn’t stop me from laughing most of the time. 😁
The Mackerel.
A good example of a failed plot-twist, since a lot of viewers didn’t understand that. The scene looks quite ridiculous in doing so. Disturbing music, worried looks. But nothing!
To make it even funnier, the plot-twist is useless since there will be no consequences, and the next episode, the time would be re-written. 🥱
PM Koo becomes a beautifully useless character, and I wish we had more of her.
The rule of “Lee Gon only changes the memory of the people he had contact with”.
It’s very evasive since you only know the information once. Why don’t the people he changed change their relatives? After all, it’s also a change in time.
And how does change not lead to greater change by butterfly effect? It’s one of the foundations of manhole drama. The hero unknowingly changes small things, and each time it turns his life into a fiasco. A successful drama on the comic side. 😜
Tae Eul “begged”. Copied and pasted from my soompi parody. 😎
I’m summarizing Tae Eul’s dialogue with that total loser Shin Jay.
(Whom I had the pleasure to see getting beaten up by Lee Lim who smashes him in the face with a stick. This guy was born to be bullied.)
SJ – I’ve secretly loved you since I’ve known you all my life.
TE – OK, but honestly, I don’t give a shlt.
TE – I’m mad about another guy you’re less than a cockroach to.
TE – Now give me the piece of flute, or I’ll smash your face in with a taekwondo high-kick.
Funny again, Lee Gon and Jo Yeong are two in the crime room, but find a way to sabotage the work even more than the first savior seen in the first episode. Finally, without excalibur, he was doing better, 😆!
A hidden truth: the truth is that Lady Noh prays that those jars of kimchi will ferment in time. 🥬
Ah ah, is the old prince bothering you too? Yes, what do you want, it’s so… 🙄
I have a question: is there a time-loop in the drama? I didn’t understand, could you please explain it better? I don’t understand anything about your article. 😅 😅 😅 😅 😅
Number of loops : probably only one, the one we see at the beginning of the drama with the savior. Not only this element has not been exploited, but the scriptwriter can’t even make this loop consistent with the rest, so place some more… 😌
For last chance, and to relax, here’s a song from one of the best bands of all time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVFJGwNGpa8
I’m a little disappointed that Lee Gon and Tae Eul don’t heckle a little bit when they’re at the beach. They fall into the sand, grab each other and throw themselves into the sea, and then splash around like fools. With an upbeat and optimistic music background. 🥳
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fpBITVG_x8
Alternative story 🤓 :
Lee Lim’s motivation wasn’t just to take up the flute. He was also disgusted by the mismanagement of the kingdom by the king, father of Lee Gon. He never understood why the King never used the flute.
When Lee Lim finally got the flute during episode 16, Lee Gon couldn’t magically catch up with him (Let’s not forget that Lee Lim had fled long ago). He opens the multiverse portal and enters it. Here, he gets lost in the other worlds and goes half crazy.
Since drama does not hesitate to throw scenes out of context, let’s go. Next scene: We see Lee Gon beheading Lee Lim!
Then the rest of Episode 16, faster. Of course, all this is just a vision of Lee Lim. Because suddenly he undergoes a memory meltdown. He, and another Lee Lim who arrived in time shortly after the flute split.
He was the first saviour (I love this plot-twist! I don’t remember who gave the idea, but it was excellent!). Lee Lim is the one who saved Lee Gon!
And the truth appears to Lee Lim: the reason why the king had never used the flute to rule is the same as Lee Gon’s later, when he will have the flute. Both of them prefer to discard that responsibility and live an ordinary life. To have the flute means to be eternal, and to be alone forever while your relatives die of old age.
Therefore, it is a challenge, and Lee Lim is the only one who has the courage to become this eternal and lonely ruler. He ceases to be the villain that one would have liked him to be and assumes this responsibility, governing wisely. Lee Lim is the king, eternal monarch.
Delurking again to thank you for all the observations and analyses! Your interpretation of the story, the symbolisms and metaphors used in the show has been such a useful tool in giving the drama substance and beauty. I don’t think a million thanks will be sufficient.
Being somewhat simple-minded, I found that simple acceptance of what the drama dished out, be it terrible pacing, “redundant scenes” or loose ends etc, has helped tremendously in my enjoyment of the whole journey that was the drama.
The message about the acceptance of Fate and what it might bring, and through that, implying active agency and the will to become, changing Fate into Destiny, is beautiful and meaningful.
Thank you so much for highlighting the depths this drama held within. All your writing and analyses are much, much appreciated!
Hi @packmule3, Once again, you have given us so much detailed explanation to devour, enjoy, ponder and have a great time with. I believe that The King will turn out to be one of those dramas that will become a cult favorite like Lost where fans will rewatch it looking for all of the clues. Some viewrers like shows than spoon feed them and where there is no thought involved. Others enjoy dramas like this with lots of symbolism, serious references and theories to fill lifetimes. While it wasn’t a ratings blockbuster, it does have a dedicated fanbase willing to enjoy the ride (which needless tomsay is full of detours, dead ends, bumps…and without benefit of GPS), And I think in the fullness of time, with all of its controversies, it will become a classic.
I am crying reading “REAL FAITH” – Faith and Believe. Danggggg that’s powerful words! Nothing much to say, just I LOVE YOU!!!
Can’t thank you enough @packmule3 for answering my questions! <3 The reference to 'hopeless love' just made so much sense – I'm in awe of how your store all this information and connect the dots!
One thing this show has been able to do unlike others is that viewers are gaining even more appreciation and understanding for the show's message even after it has ended 🙂
And, I just had to say this… quoting LG, "Because you, the blog and this community existed (somewhere), I was less lonely in the past 9 weeks."
In episode 16 when LG said beautiful equations are always simple, I half expect to see him running with those simple equations. This imagination comes from the Matrix since the Matrix is a simulation and is connected to the realm of binary codes, we should have something like this
https://internetsafety.trendmicro.com/did-we-all-take-the-blue-pill-in-the-end
Thus I expect KES will drape LG running scene with equations like
Some simple equations, my choice will be
1. Euler equality
2. Pi
3. Phytagoras theorem
4. Second law of Thermodynamic
5. Maxwell equations
6. Dirac’s equation
etc…
Some examples of beautiful equations as follows.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKtloBAuP74
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316432009_Beautiful_Equations
The impact will be much better and makes TKES comparable to the Matrix, I think. It will attract mathematicians to watch TKES, even though it may discouraged normal people. But a re-education in mathematics is useful, as this blog has already initiated some postings Maths for bitches.
Yeah I’m one of those innocent ones because I did wonder what are the palm leaves for. 🤦🏻♀️ What era is he talking about? 🤔😂
I wish I had the same faith as TE. Thanks for connecting the dots again. 😍
Wellllll… I think you actually have the same faith as TE, you just don’t know it. You’re Christian, right?
How long have you been waiting for Christ to come back?
TaeEul is lucky. She waited less than two years. She last saw him in April 2020. He returned in 2021. Even if we say that he returned in December 2021, that’s about 1 year and 8 months or 20 months.
Military service in SK is 18 to 22 months.
It would be nice to think that I have the same faith as TE. Yes, I’m a Catholic. ☺️ I’ve been waiting for years for Christ to come back but I’d like to believe that He is with me in spirit, yeogi. ☺️
TE is very lucky and I guess it’s a reward too for fighting evil and having that solid faith. She is a warrior as LG said.
Thank you @packmule3 for taking the time to writing such intricate interpretations of the above scenes! Whilst reading this post, I had a sudden realisation – we know from LG and JTE’s parallel worlds that all the doppelgängers seem to have the same set of parents. So does that mean, in every other parallel world in the multiverse, Sin-jae is Tae-eul’s destined partner? In KOC we saw how Luna ends up with Kang Hyun-min when the two worlds are allowed to flow naturally, so does that mean it was actually Lee Gon playing gooseberry and not Sin-jae?! 😂 Alternatively thinking, it’s nice to know that LG and JTE outdid fate in this aspect and stood out as the only anomaly couple in the multiverse😜
Arigatou@packmule3! Words will not be enough for all my aha moments everytime you unleash some of KES mysteries of TKEM!
Your explanation of REAL FAITH seems so simple and yet impactful. Same with the flower which means hopeless love. As I rewatch each episode, at least 2 or 3 ( that’s the max I could do), some of the symbolism that KES used like the flute, scar, flowers and even the ginko tree would beautifully and eventually unfold their connection to LG and TE’s fate. I regard myself as an ordinary viewer, not the intellectual one, looking at TKEM story in its entirety, for me it’s more meaningful than Goblin and in the end there’s indeed a beautiful solution! Thanks to King LG!
Hi @packmule3 and all of the posters. I am fascinated by the depiction of faith in K Dramas and films. It seems to me that of the Christian denominations, Catholicism is the most represented. And, correct me if I’m wrong, funereal,death anniversary and mourning customs seem to be a combination of Eastern and Christian (where the protagoonists are Christian) customs. I’m a Jewish New York City person who once was the only person not taking communion at one of my friend’s reunion of her former order of nuns (one of the most beautiful and touching moments of my life). On a couple of occasions I’ve actually seen Hebrew (which I can read) in a few dramas-got a big kick out of that. What also strikes me is that in the most K Dramas I have watched there has been at least one scene where the deceased members of the main families are remembered at the grave site (with a ritual meal and soju), at the columbarium or at the temple. Those scenes always make me cry. And like the King, Memories of the Alhambra, The Fiery Priest and other dramas, church scenes pack a lot of emotional power. And, unlike what I know of Ametican series, there is a lot of sincerity. In The King, the violence taking place at the cathedral was all the more shocking because it should never have happened in a place of sanctuary and worship.
PM3, I really love your explanation of the difference between believing something is true, and having faith in something.
It reminds me of my favorite Bible verse, Hebrews 11:1 (ESV):
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
@AvidOverthinker, you raise a valid point: If in all parallel worlds all people have parallel parents & family (otherwise DNA, for one, wouldn’t match), then how can LG and TE be a commuting couple (between worlds) while Luna and Kang Hyeon Min are together in KOC.
First, just because Luna and Kang Hyeon Min are both officers with the Violent Crimes Squad 3 in Busan KOC, that doesn’t mean they’re linked romantically in the new timeline. In the scene with the two of them outside Haesong Bookstore, we are not given evidence that points beyond friendship and camaraderie between co-workers.
We want Lee Gon and Tae Eul to get married, make babies, and continue the royal line to make HCL Noh very happy, right?! For that to happen, we need to get Luna of Corea and Lee Ji Hun of Korea together. Time for some fanfic! (It has to be Luna of Corea and LJH of Korea, rather than doppelgangers from other parallel worlds, so there won’t be a cascading effect of one half of the pair being missing from each world.)
Here’s an outline of my fanfic:
-Lee Gon calls in Luna for a secret meeting. He tells her about the Corea-Korea parallel worlds (she doesn’t need to know about any others). LG introduces Luna to Tae Eul. Luna becomes a loyal, trustworthy friend of both LG and TE.
-Lee Gon and Tae Eul take Luna with them to Korea for some visits. They give her time to acclimate and decide if she’d like to make a switch between worlds.
-During one of their joint visits to Korea, it comes to their attention that Lee Ji Hun is in danger and they come to his aid, but the only one LJH encounters in person is Luna. He and Luna are attracted to each other–love at first sight–because it is their fate to be a couple.
-Lee Gon has an iron-clad, unbreakable identity created for Tae Eul in Corea. In this identity, Luna and Tae Eul were twins that were separated: Luna ended up abandoned without identity, but Tae Eul was adopted and raised in a foreign country. TE’s Corea identity is crafted so well because it was done by Lee Gon’s friend in China, the doppelganger of Xiao Nai.
-TE chooses to relocate to Corea and Luna chooses to relocate to Korea. They make these decisions because it is what they want, not what they are being coerced to do. Their stories play out so that TE marries LG, and Luna marries LJH.
-Those dearest to TE in Korea, her father and closest friends, are let in on the secret of parallel worlds and doppelgangers. All become friends, as travel between worlds is possible with LG being in possession of the whole Manpasikjeok. TE’s father is able to visit her in Corea. ES and JY are reunited and able to restore their friendship. The location where doppelganger rendezvous are held is a top-secret estate in the mountains of Corea, which they jokingly call Twin Peaks.
-Luna’s adoptive mother in Corea accepts TE into her heart as the long-lost twin sister of Luna. During one of his visits to Corea, TE’s father meets Luna’s mom and the two of them hit it off. They eventually get married and split their time between the two worlds. It isn’t easy because she’s so smart, but they manage to keep the secret of the parallel worlds from Koo by playing to her haughty nature. She’s not interested in learning more about her step-father because she looks down on him as a lowly taekwondo instructor, and thinks it would be boring to go to a foreign country just to hang out at his studio (once she’s out of jail). Koo’s adopted sister Luna marries LJH while Koo is still in jail, so Koo’s inability to attend the wedding is a given. All she knows is that LJH is career military and that he and Luna move around a lot, so she’s not surprised when she sees Luna only rarely.
🌷🌷🌷🌷
Should I start a fanfic thread just for TKEM like I did with Crash Landing?
@AvidOverthinker
Thanks for setting out a clue for @Welmaris to expound! I didnt realise the pattern until you mentioned it.
I was also still yearning for my SJ to have his one sided love recognised! But I know now that it’s not possible, that SJ who was planted wrongly into ROK should not have existed nor have loved TE. HyunMin (SJ) is the cool policeman who’s now just a sunbae to Luna in KOC. And the real SJ is the chaebol in ROK 2022.
Therefore LG and TE and JH (so handsome in naval uniform) and Luna should follow the same love trajectory in their own respective worlds.
@Welmaris your fan fiction was the most beautiful solution. It settled everything especially when you wrote TE and Luna were twins and that Luna’s stepmom married TE’s dad and we have now the parents of Luna and TE complete!
Can I ask for extras though ..I want Sin Jae and Hyun Min to find their love too 😍😍
So yes @Packmule3 to a fanfic thread please🙏
Oooh, @welmaris I just read your fanfic and I love it! Especially the bit where Luna’s mum and TE’s dad gets together!
I will echo @carolstar: please help Sin Jae and Hyeon Min to find partners too?
thank you for this!!! it explained so much stuff to me BUT i have a question (i rly hope this gets answered cos its been bugging me; also, im new to this site so idk how this goes but here)
in the finale, when lee gon and jo yeong went back to 1994 (the night of treason) and killed lee lim, everything changed after that right? so what happened to the young lee gon then? arent there supposed to be 2 lee gons now? the present lee gon and the young lee gon who he saved. im really so confused about this
@Packmule3 I really loved your answer to @Dreamer’s first question!
Thank you for this!