There are many ways of interpreting the significance of the title. SoYoung’s voiceover at the end of the episode explained, “People are afraid of darkness. So they try to chase it away by lightening it up with light. But the stronger the light is, the darker the shadow is.”

To me, the writer was talking about dualism. He/she was pointing out how two opposite forces, light and darkness, give rise to each other. And although they’re antithetical to each other, like yin and yang, they’re dependent on each other.

As Soyoung said in the voiceover, all starts with fear of the dark. In response to this fear, a candle is lit. But as a candle is lit, a shadow is cast. In a sense, the candle appears to defy the darkness. But the darkness is only biding its time. It’s waiting to engulf the candle in shadows.

I thought this idea of darkness overwhelming and overpowering light was visually depicted when the King dropped a match into the well. In no time at all, the light was extinguished in the black void of the well.

I’ll list a number of times in the episode when the characters of light and darkness counteracted each other.

1. The masculine vs the feminine

Poor SoYoung!

Neither BongHwan nor the King wanted her, and she was physically struck by both men. Sure, this indisputable fact might be acceptable to other viewers, but I’ll still call it the way I see it: mi·sog·y·nis·tic. The spark of light belongs to SoYoung who’s trying to regain control of her consciousness and body, while the forces of darkness are the two men who knocked her back into oblivion.

I get that BongHwan found it repulsive to kiss a man. When he became aware that the Queen’s psyche had taken control of her body and was kissing the King, BongHwan slapped himself and began berating to himself to get rid of the Queen’s thoughts in himself.

BongHwan: Enough already, woman! (spitting) Eh, you’re causing a trouble in the end! You wanted to have a go at it, is that it?
King: Who in the world are you fighting with, right now?
BongHwan: You stay out. This is between Kim SoYoung and me.

Remember what I said about the Dangerous Relationships in a previous post? Here! This is exactly why BongHwan/SoYoung relationship is dangerous. They’re fighting over the control of Kim SoYoung’s body. Since he’s slowly reconciling himself to the idea that he’s going to live in the Joseon period, he wants to take over Kim SoYoung’s consciousness.

BongHwan: As long as I am inside, I am in control of this body. The soul is the owner of the body!

Hell no.

Not if you’re illegally occupying it, buddy.

The King thought the BongHwan’s rambling was a sign of his inebriation.

King: You are unable to distinguish between a dream and a reality. That’s fortunate.
BongHwan: What are you talking about? Even when I’m drunk, I always go home –
King: (shutting him up and pulling him into his arms to pat her to sleep)
BongHwan: (waking up again) No, this is not a dream. You wouldn’t be appearing in my dream.
King: That I appeared in your dream, (chopping BongHwan’s neck), I’m sorry. Please forget a bad dream.

My Comments:

a. The King liked that BongHwan was so drunk that he couldn’t tell dream from reality. The King could search for the ledger right under BH’s nose.

b. The King used the ruckus (e.g., the sound of the breaking pot, and more) to drive people away from the house to give the honeymooning couple some privacy. He could search for the ledger without fear of the guards interrupting him.

c. According to BongHwan, there was no way he would fantasize about the King. He liked girls. At this point, I’m going to take his word for it because he’s drunk. “In vino veritas.” But in the future episodes, it’s possible that he’ll DENY fantasizing about the King because he doesn’t want to acknowledge that he’s beginning to care for the King.

d. ByeongIn suspected that the King was up to no good and was trying to kill SoYoung again. He barely missed the masked intruder that his father sent to steal the ledger.

e. I don’t think people realize their inconsistent attitude toward HwaJin and BongHwan.

Many are repelled by the child HwaJin’s imitation of the child SoYoung. (Given their young ages, I’m going to assume that hero-worship, rather than malice, played a bigger factor in the child HwaJin’s behavior.)

But if these viewers were appalled by HwaJin’s childish imitation of SoYoung’s clothes and her current ambitions to replace the Queen, then they should be equally (or more so) appalled by BongHwan’s appropriation of SoYoung’s body and his ambitions to replace the Queen, too.

Don’t they see the parallelism? Hwajin wants to replace SoYoung in the same manner that BongHwan wants to replace SoYoung. Two sides of the same coin. Yin and Yang. Lightness and darkness.

Sigh.

f. But not least, this must be pointed out that both BongHwan and the King didn’t hesitate to strike SoYoung to knock her out.

BongHwan slapped himself to knock some sense into her. He didn’t want to be part of SoYoung’s raging “hormones” (remember how he talked about hormones with HwaJin?)

But the King karate-chopped BongHwan to knock him out so he could do his mission. He didn’t want her delaying his mission.

Mission >>> Queen

The feminist in me is riled up that these two men physically assaulted SoYoung’s body to get their way.

2. The Royal Guards vs the Ministry of Justice

This is another light vs darkness match-up. But the determination of who’s light and darkness depends on team the viewer is on. If you’re Team King then of course, you’ll think the Royal Guards are the forces of light. But I’m solidly on Team SoYoung. Note: I didn’t say BongHwan,

Protecting the King is the job of the Royal Guards (in blue uniform), led by Prince YP. Prince YP himself is a descendant of a King, and the cousin of the King. He was ordered to vacate his position so the Queen’s father could replace him. But Prince YP and Hong conspired to injure the Queen’s father in a riding accident to prevent him from taking on his duties.

Protecting the Queen, on the other hand is job of the Uigeumbu (in maroon uniform) under the orders of ByeongIn. Uigeumbu is the Joseon’s equivalent of Department of Justice. It’s in charge of enforcing laws, maintaining order, ensuring public safety, and investigating crimes. ByeongIn is the stepson of Minister JwaGeum and a cousin of the Queen. He especially asked for this job in this agency in order to watch over the Queen independently, without the King’s control.

Although Prince YP has royal blood, ByeonIn has the political clout as he’s a member of the powerful Andong Kim clan. Remember when he brought in drunk BongHwan home from his night out? The gates were already closed, and the sentry wouldn’t allow him in, saying, “No matter how noble they are, if they are not the King…” Once they saw his face, they let him in.

Note: To me, the fact that ByeongIn’s face was easily recognizable highlighted that he was NOT the King. Back in those days, it wasn’t allowed to gaze directly at the King’s face, so many people wouldn’t know how he looked like. The diners at the eatery didn’t know they were speaking to the King himself.

But political clout is NOT the only reason ByeongIn looks on Prince YP and the King with contempt. Sure, he isn’t intimidated by either one of them because of their royal blood. But the real reason he regards them with disdain is because he suspects them of attempting to kill the Queen. The King, especially. He tried to kill his wife on the second (second!) night of their marriage.

If you’re Team Soyoung like I am, then of course, anything that Prince YP does is shady. He’s part of the darkness. Not only does he favor the concubine HwaJin, but he’s been sowing the King’s distrust of the Queen.

Ep 4, at 11:53, he told the King, “You must concentrate on the fact that your goal is righteous. If the results are just, the methods will also become just. The Kim Clan cannot be beaten with righteousness. You must not waver. I’m sure those people are scheming something scary.”

Ep 5, at 29:00, he told the King that the Queen’s suicide confession was made to get the King’s sympathies. “If you hadn’t stepped forward, she would have framed the Consort Bin. If you did step forward, she could have persuaded you.” Finally, the King confronted him, “Prince Yeongpyeong, you assume that everything the Queen says and does is out of hidden malice.”

Prince YP answered, “The Queen is the core of the Kim clan. What kind of people are they? They are the ones that killed our whole family. I cannot forget it even for a moment.”

Prince YP is pushing that narrative that the Queen is bad. I’m on Team SoYoung, so Prince YP is on the Dark Side.

3. The King vs ByeongIn

Since we’re midway through this drama, I know that the King is about halfway to falling in love with the Queen. But until he’s fallen completely for her, I’m not going to give him a pass and overlook his offenses.

One, he took advantage of the Queen’s recuperation to accomplish his mission. The Queen’s welfare was only secondary to his goal of finding the incriminating ledger. He used his “outing” to the Queen’s home as an excuse for “outing” the Kim clan’s corruption.

Next, he kissed her to cover up his presence at his father-in-law’s residence. He knew ByeongIn was about to enter the chambers and he didn’t want ByeongIn to know that he’d been sneaking around looking for something. To me, he hadn’t changed his tactic from that incident when he gave the Queen the “truth serum” by forcibly kissing her.

Why does he use his kisses to get his own way?

Then, he rendered the Queen unconscious with a chop to the neck so he could go search for the book. Couldn’t he have just continuing patting her to sleep? What was the rush? He had all night to look for the ledger.

Since I’m on Team Queen, I say that the King’s still in the dark about the future of his relationship with the Queen. But he’s bound to see the light soon.

Again, this is going to be an unpopular position, but I’m calling it anyway. Between the King and ByeongIn, the person who sees the Queen clearly is ByeongIn. He knows she’s the innocent victim of all these palace shenanigans. He worries that she’s going to be the sacrificial lamb of both his father’s naked ambition and the King’s secret revenge plot. Despite the King’s assurance, he doubts the King has any real desire in protecting the Queen because his loyalty lies with the concubine.

“The most innocent is always the Queen!”

I like that, despite knowing that he has ZERO chance of winning the Queen’s heart, he still looks after her. To me, he’s the only one who can be trusted to defend SoYoung from attacks because he has no ulterior motive except to keep her alive.

He knows not to trust these people:

a. the King’s concubine HwaJin: he knew she took part in the shaman ritual.
b. the Queen Dowager: he wanted her gone since she was constantly scheming against the Queen.
c. the Jo clan: he knew they wanted the Queen deposed.
d. Minister JwaGeum: he knew his father would replace the queen the second she outlived her usefulness.
e. Prince YP: he knew that Prince YP burned the King’s clothes that would incriminate the King.
f. the King himself: he believed the King to be two-faced. He thought he was putting on an act when when the Queen fell into a coma.

Wouldn’t you do too if you saw the King trying to kill the defenseless Queen?

ByeongIn came in the nick of time to defend the Queen.

ByeognIn had no idea that the Queen accidentally stumbled on the King with his co-plotters. As far as he was concerned, the King was deceitful.

“A fake face.”

“Show me your true face.”

In ByeongIn’s eyes, the King was feigning concern for the Queen’s illness, and he wasn’t to be trusted alone with the Queen. That’s why he told the King, “I didn’t know how dearly you care for her.”

And that’s why he wanted to be at the Queen’s side.

Furthermore, in this episode, it was revealed why he was protective of SoYoung.

Remember their conversation in the rain? He found her crying in the rain. Note her location: she was at the well in her father’s house.

ByeongIn: Why is Your Royal Highness here?
SoYoung: It’s you again, Orabeoni. You are the only one who looks for me when I’m hiding.

ByeongIn: Why are you here when your wedding ceremony is tomorrow?
SoYoung: I felt like I was going crazy so I left the palace, but I have nowhere to go.
ByeongIn: (in the barn) I will take you back to the palace right away, avoiding being seen by others.

This whole conversation was a déjà vu. He has a history of saving SoYoung whenever she was in trouble. He was the “orabeoni” who found her hiding in the well because he heard her wailing. He was the “orabeoni” whom she ran to for help. He was the “orabeoni” who went against their clan elders and yielded to her wishes.

ByeongIn: The sound is coming from here!

Note: he was peering down the well. Notice the light? *I’ll have to explain this later.

SoYoung: Orabeoni?
ByeongIn: Do you know how much I worried about you? The whole family was searching for you.
SoYoung: (Crying) Orabeoni.
ByeongIn: I will come down.
Cheoljong: (Shaking his head no. He didn’t want his hiding place known)
SoYoung: Just give me a ladder.
ByeongIn: Fine.

Afterwards, when Cheoljong’s hiding place was discovered, she went to ByeongIn, and cried for him to help her.

SoYoung: It’s my fault. I’m responsible for his death. Because I didn’t keep the secret. Because I told the maidservant about him.
ByeongIn: You heard what the adults said. His family committed treason.
SoYoung: He did nothing wrong though. You’re a good person, aren’t you? Please, Orabeoni.

Then, against his better judgment, he did as SoYoung had asked him. He followed her to the well, removed the big rocks and uncovered the well. She watched him and said, “My Orabeoni is indeed a good person.”

Then, when they heard a door opening, he quickly grabbed her hand and led her out of there.

For me, his character – and his fate – were sealed then. He was SoYoung’s guardian since they were children. He knew that SoYoung didn’t like him romantically, but he liked her enough that he wanted the best for her, even if it meant giving her up and sacrificing himself for her.

Sacrifice. When the King is ready to sacrifice himself for the Queen, that’s when I know that he deserves her.

4. Fans vs Anti-fans

Diner: They made a man from the traitor family a king. It’s not only empty but also rotten.

Even the ordinary man knew that conferring the title and position of “King” onto Cheolgong was a hollow gesture. But it was a tactical move to consolidate power of one ruling class that anybody with half-a-brain would see through instantly.

Diner: Does it make sense that a person from the family that committed treason throughout generations from his grandfather, father, and brother became the King? And what was the King thinking when he accepted the throne? Like a gutless loser, he’s living at the mercy of the Kims who killed all his family.

That’s when BongHwan stood up to protest. On the surface, he looked as if he was suddenly protesting that the name of the Kim clan was dragged into the conversation. But he was actually standing up for the King because his whole family had just called out as traitors.

Remember the ghost that appeared in the well? To survive in the palace, the King had blocked from his mind that his family had been accused of treason. But subconsciously, he believed his grandfather was wrongly accused.

BongHwan: You crossed the line. You’re free to curse at him. But it’s not nice to talk about his family. There’s a line you shouldn’t cross even for malicious comments.

Love this! BongHwan was speaking with modern-day sensitivities, of course. You don’t dox people, Winter Gardeners.

BongHwan: Moreover, do you think being a king is all about living a comfortable life? Being on the throne, he’s living in danger of getting poisoned, and getting his head chopped off all the time. It’s brutal.
King: (trying to hold her hand to stop her but she waved it off)
Diner: Are you from the palace? Are you a spokesperson of the King or what?
BongHwan: Me? I am a member of the King’s fan club.
King: “Fan club?”
BongHwan: (muttering to himself) Antifans are fans, too.

BongHwan: Anyway, talk about his family one more time, and I will just flip the table!

The King dragged her out before she could cause a riot.

King: Look at your temper!
BongHwan: Let go of me. Let go.

Could we just agree that Shin HyeSun is a great actress? Physicality along with facial expression and voice, is part of her toolkit. She makes BongHwan look real because she’s given him mannerisms that look distinctively masculine. Take his hand-raising gesture.

Women don’t normally do that. When a woman’s hand is grabbed, her tendency is to bring it close to her body. She doesn’t lift them up in the air, like in a “Hands Up!” gesture. Women tend to guard and protect their chest (and bosom).

BongHwan: I really didn’t get angry. (eyeing him) You said you’re in disguise. Your identity can’t be revealed. So I got angry for you. (pursing her lips in distaste) Why? What?
King: (warmly) You’re a flipping amazing actress.
BongHwan: Do you even know what that means?
King: Is it not something good? But what does “fan club” mean by the way?
BongHwan: I can say they’re honorable people who wish for someone’s happiness and success with pure hearts.
King: So it’s like a spirit guide. How about “anti-fans”?
BongHwan: Well…those who are even more interested in that person that the fan club?
King: Even more powerful spirit guide. I do not deserve such feeling you have in me.
BongHwan: Whatever. If I get dethroned, I’ll sell gukbap and make a living.
King: Do not say that. I won’t let that happen. I’m also your anti-fan.
BongHwan: Sure. That surely reassures me. We should go our separate ways now. You and I have different goals. Let’s see if there’s a good restaurant people line up for.

My Comments:

a. Do you see what I say that ByeongIn is SoYoung’s #1 fan?

Here’s a cursory inventory of what he did for her.

Searching for her and finding her at the well

Going back to the well to rescue Cheoljong

Finding her crying in the rain by the well where they rescued Cheoljong. She must have gone back to the site because she was upset that the King thought it was HwaJin who rescued him.

Rescuing her from the King’s attempted murder

Bringing her back to the palace (when the King just fled and left her there)

Saving her from humiliation when the King chose the concubine instead of SoYoung

He was furious because the King insulted SoYoung.

Seeking a job with the Ministry of Justice
Going against his father
Going to the Queen to contradict his father

He was a fan, but the King was the anti-fan.

b. The King misunderstood the meaning of anti-fan because of that phrase “more interested.”

Remember how a small but critical word can make a word of difference between understanding and misunderstanding?

The King’s stumbling block here was the word “more.” The King homed in on the word “more” and thought that being an anti-fan was vastly superior to being a regular fan because of the greater magnitude of devotion and zeal.

In actuality, however, an anti-fan is the negative version of a fan. The word “anti” is the critical word. Anti-fans do show more interest than the fans but their interest is poured into hatred, not admiration, like the fans. They demonstrate an unhealthy obsession, sometimes bordering on the pathological.

Yes, unfortunately, anti-fans do exist. Recently one of our Hospital Playlist posters was doxed by a handful of them for having different opinion. 

To me, the King’s notion that he and the Queen were each other’s anti-fans is hilarious…but it’s true.

He and BongHwan are constantly at odds with each other because they’re goals are opposite or “anti” of each other. However, despite the differences in goals, they unwittingly advance each other’s goals like a fan or supporter. Thus, they are “anti-fans” but in a different sense of the word.

c. We know that the King was moved when the BongHwan spoke up for him and his family of traitors. He thought he was seeing a new side of the Queen because he didn’t know that the Queen’s spirit had been replaced by BongHwan.

However, I think SoYoung would have done the same thing and spoken up for the King to defend him — without the bellicose rhetoric and manly swagger. Remember? When she begged ByeongIn to save Cheoljong, she told him that Cheoljong was innocent of his family’s crimes.

The King was touched by BongHwan’s action because BongHwan was somebody he tried to kill. He was curious to know how BongHwan could remain magnanimous.

King: I’ve been meaning to ask you a question. How come you have not told anyone about that night?
BongHwan: About what?
King: How I tried to harm you.
BongHwan: Oh that? I do not want to get involved. I just want to skate over all the hardships.

BongHwan’s nonchalance wasn’t something the King and Prince YP expected of the Queen. They expected the Queen to report the King’s action and retaliate.

I think SoYoung would have reacted in the same manner as BongHwan. Remember? She didn’t expose HwaJin’s lie to the King.  She knew that HwaJin had assumed her identity but she was willing to just let the concubine leave the palace.

d. I like how BongHwan was getting ready for his Plan B which didn’t involve the palace. His Plan A, of course, is to get into the Grand Queen Dowager’s good graces. But if that fails, his Plan B is to open up an eatery. He’s fortunate that he has his culinary talents and skills to rely on. SoYeon, unfortunately, didn’t have that option.

5. The Grand Queen Dowager Kim vs the Queen Dowager Jo

We know who the light and darkness here are. QD Jo deals with black magic, she’s poisoned HwaJin’s mind with jealousy. She’s stirring up trouble in the King’s household.

While the Grand QD Kim herself isn’t exactly a beacon of light, she’s on Team SoYoung, like me. She’s a powerful ally of the Queen after falling for BongHwan’s culinary skills.

JwaGeum: Is the Queen’s food that exceptional?
GQD: It’s not about her cooking. I’ve grown to like her… (stomach growling)
JwaGeum: Affection can be quite a scary thing.
GQD: I was hungry this morning… no…I missed the Queen dearly which made me wake up. That’s why being tamed can be a scary thing. I’m under the impression that I’m using others, but at one point, it was me who had been tamed.
JwaGeum: That’s why you must find other people who can be of use to you. I will instruct the royal chefs to learn the Queen’s recipes.

Then, the Queen instructed him to send ByeongIn over to her. I think she was impressed with the capable way he handled the shaman rite.

GQD: Tell ByeongIn to come and see me from time to time.
JwaGeum: (warily) Do you need to speak to him?
GQD: He is your adopted son. I had been too indifferent. I can give him some errands from time to time. You are getting old now. You must focus only on important matters.
JwaGeum: Everything that concerns you is important to me.

Comments:

a. The Minister JwaGeum doesn’t trust his son ByeongIn. He wouldn’t like sharing his power over the GQD with ByeongIn. He was able to control the GQD all this time because he was her only source of news and information, and because she relied on him for counsel. But now that GQD requested ByeongIn’s presence at her side, JwaGeum would be suspicious of ByeongIn’s influence over the GQD. In the future, he’ll suspect him of interference should the GQD contradict his advice.

b. Unlike the QD Jo, the Grand Queen Dowager doesn’t scheme in darkness. The GQD is direct because she’s in power. For instance, she made sure that GD Jo knew she was the boss in the palace when she ordered GD Jo to remove her socks. She warned her, “It is Suritnal soon. That’s the expiration date of my tolerance.”

c. BongHwan has a powerful ally in the GQD. “Cooking is politics,” as he said during the interview.

d. the comment about taming came from the “Little Prince.” I told you, didn’t I? That French novelette is a must read for any kdrama enthusiast. Here’s that passage about taming.

“Please–tame me!” he said.
“I want to, very much,” the little prince replied. “But I have not much time. I have friends to discover, and a great many things to understand.”
“One only understands the things that one tames,” said the fox. “Men have no more time to understand anything. They buy things all ready made at the shops. But there is no shop anywhere where one can buy friendship, and so men have no friends anymore. If you want a friend, tame me . . .”
“What must I do, to tame you?” asked the little prince.
“You must be very patient,” replied the fox. “First you will sit down at a little distance from me–like that– in the grass. I shall look at you out of the corner of my eye, and you will say nothing. Words are the source of misunderstandings. But you will sit a little closer to me, every day . . .”
The next day the little prince came back.
“It would have been better to come back at the same hour,” said the fox. “If, for example, you come at four o’clock in the afternoon, then at three o’clock I shall begin to be happy. I shall feel happier and happier as the hour advances. At four o’clock, I shall already be worrying and jumping about. I shall show you how happy I am! But if you come at just any time, I shall never know at what hour my heart is to be ready to greet you . . . One must observe the proper rites . . .”
“What is a rite?” asked the little prince.
“Those also are actions too often neglected,” said the fox. “They are what make one day different from other days, one hour from other hours. There is a rite, for example, among my hunters. Every Thursday they dance with the village girls. So Thursday is a wonderful day for me! I can take a walk as far as the vineyards. But if the hunters danced at just any time, every day would be like every other day, and I should never have any vacation at all.”
So the little prince tamed the fox. And when the hour of his departure drew near–
“Ah,” said the fox, “I shall cry.”
“It is your own fault,” said the little prince. “I never wished you any sort of harm; but you wanted me to tame you . . .”
“Yes, that is so,” said the fox.
“But now you are going to cry!” said the little prince.
“Yes, that is so,” said the fox.
“Then it has done you no good at all!”
“It has done me good,” said the fox, “because of the color of the wheat fields.”

source:  http://blogs.ubc.ca/edcp508/files/2016/02/TheLittlePrince.pdf

BongHwan had tamed the GQD because of his cooking talent. I thought it was interesting that the GQD couldn’t make up her mind: whether it was better to admit that she like the Queen or the food. That’s how indelibly linked the two had become in her mind.

6. Minister JwaGeum vs his adopted son ByeongIn

The Minister has an interest take on light and darkness.

JW: I heard you went against the Royal Guard Division.
BI: Many things were suspicious, so I wanted to find evidence before reporting it to you. There are many suspicious people in the Royal Guard Division.
JW: There are exactly seven, I believe.
BI: Were you aware of them?
JW: (looking at him) Did you think I left them alone because I was unaware? If you look into them like that, what do you think they would do? They will dig themselves a deeper tunnel and go into hiding. They’ll become more clever and act in secret. What you can see cannot pose a threat. You have to make them believe that you do not see them. That way you can go after and kill them right away when they cause a problem.
BI: I was short-sighted.
JW: Did you think I simply put the King in that position because he is not capable of doing what a king should do? It is because I implanted fears into his mind myself. It is easy to handle those who have fears. If the one sitting on a higher seat fears me, my power is greater than his.
BI: When it comes to matters related to the King, I’ll ask you first.
JW: Go in and take a rest.

a. JwaGeum instills fear in his enemies.

The King, Prince YP, HwaJin, QD Jo, ByeongIn, and SoYoung – they all have fears or weaknesses that Minister JwaGeum could manipulate to his advantage. The only one I don’t see having any fear is BongHwan. For one, his Achilles’ heel was an overabundance of ego and confidence, remember? For another, he’s not from this world. He’s a spectator watching history unfold just like in the schoolbooks so as long as he doesn’t change history drastically, he’ll be fine.

I think JwaGeum finally found his match in BongHwan.

b. If fear of the dark leads people to seek the light, then for JwaGeum, it’s the reverse. He doesn’t fear the dark; he thrives in darkness. It’s as if he has night vision.

credit: huffpost

According to him, he allows his enemies to work in the dark. He avoids shining light on their activities to lull them into a false sense of security and secrecy. Unlike the other courtiers, he doesn’t think that the King is incompetent. However, he knows that the King is weakened by his own personal ghosts and nightmares.

c. JwaGeum is the Machiavellian character in the drama. Cunning, manipulative, unscrupulous.

d. I think JwaGeum knew that ByeongIn helped the child Cheoljong escape from the well, at the behest of SoYoung. When JwaGeum said, “Did you think I left them alone because I was unaware?” he could have been referring to ByeongIn’s assistance that night. He knew that the Cheoljong was missing from the well so somebody must have helped him get out. But he didn’t question or punish ByeongIn for it. He didn’t think ByeongIn was a threat as long as he had him in his line of sight.

I thought it was a warning though that if ByeongIn overstepped his boundaries again, he wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate him.

It was a warning similar to what he told BongHwan/Queen in Episode 5 that he’d eliminate any weakness. “We do not have any such thing as a weakness. If anything becomes a problem (looking pointedly at BongHwan), we just need to cut it out.” BongHwan understood that to be the real warning.

7. Hwajin vs SoYoung

Since I’m on Team SoYoung, Hwajin is the representative of darkness in this drama. But I do make a distinction between the child HwaJin and the adult HwaJin. As I said earlier, I’m not going to ascribe malice to the actions of child HwaJin. Yes, she copied SoYoung’s way of dressing, and yes, she told SoYoung that death would allow her to see her dead mother.

SJ: “This book is written by our country’s scholars. In it’s first chapter, it discusses the ‘Five Relations in Confucianism” in general, and specifies the details of king-subject, father-son, husband-wife, elder-younger siblings and friends separately.”
HJ: You’ve already memorized all the pages of this book until the pages are worn out, but why are you reciting it again?
SY: Because today is the anniversary of my mother’s death. This is the book my mother used.
HJ: So you do that when you miss your mother? In my case, I cry every day. While doing so, I’ve found a way to see my mother.
SY: How?
HJ: If I die, I’ll get to see my mother.
SY: (suddenly leaving)

Comments:

a. To me, there’s a sense of hero-worship there. Like the other kids, she admired SoYoung so she tried to copy her. The other kids taunted her and attributed her copycat tendencies to envy.

b. She spent time talking to SoYoung because they were in the same boat.

c. She couldn’t have foreseen that SoYoung would rush off to kill herself. She was sharing her own coping skill with her mother’s death. She wasn’t telling SoYoung to kill herself.

d. I doubt she knew that Cheoljong was hiding in the well until SoYoung and ByeongIn returned and uncovered the well.

e. The lie started when she covered the hid the name on the book from Cheoljong’s view. It’s interesting that the adult HwaJin got another book from the well, the ledger that the King had been looking for.

7. Light vs Darkness

Visually, the well represented darkness and things that need darkness to thrive and operate, like secrets, fears, conspiracies, grudges, ambitions…

And death. The well represented death, too.

I find it interesting that the first time SoYoung and the King met, she was thinking of killing herself to meet her mom.

SY: You are alive. Did you also come here to die?
CJ: What are you talking about?

He wasn’t in the well to die. On the contrary, he was in the well to live. He was hiding from the people who wanted to kill him.

SY: I came here to die.

If SoYoung did jump into the lake to commit suicide, then that would have been the second time she acted on her death wish.

SY: Do you want to live? Because you’re scared of dying?
CJ: No. Everyone died except for me. That is scarier.

Meaning, he wasn’t scared of death because everybody else in his family died already. Other things were scarier than dying. For instance, to be alone scarier. To be alone in the well is scarier. To wait alone and not know when the waiting ends is scarier. To live alone in the world is scarier. To live alone in the world while being hunted down is scarier.

For the child Cheoljong, a lot of things were scarier than dying, so he wasn’t afraid of dying.

SY: Then, let us go together.

They were going to strangle each other to death. But they couldn’t do it and started crying. ByeongIn found her and told her to get out of the well.

SJ: I am sorry. I thought about it, but I want to live. You actually want to live, too, right? I will come back. (giving him the book that belonged to her mother) If you want to live, if you want to live again, come up to give it back to me.

So if the well represented darkness, then what stood for light? My guess is people are the source of light. The best way to get rid of scary things in the dark like secrets, fears, conspiracies, grudges, ambitions, and even death, is to have people look out for each other.

And visually, we saw light at the top of the well. There was three of them, in fact.

One, Cheoljong’s mother who hid him but couldn’t come back for him,

two, Soyeong’s #1 fan, ByeongIn, and

three, the King’s #1 antifan, BongHwan. lol.

So, there you go. That’s MY take on Episode 9. Let’s go on with Episode 10 next.