These are the scenes I love because they depicted the various relationships of the characters in the kdrama. These relationships provide flesh to the skeletal framework of the plot. Without relationships, the story is a journey of unrelated people from point A to point B to point C. But because I know that a character matters to somebody else, he/she becomes sympathetic to watch.
1. BaWoo and SooKyung
Give me the flirting style of a Joseon man with a 21st century sensibilities!
SooKyung told Bawoo that the textile merchant had taken the bait and would procure more silk for her.
BW: Thank you and I’m sorry. Please leave the work to me in the future.
SK: No. Just as you have taken care of me, I will do anything to take care of you.
BW smiled at her.
They have come a long way from SK attempting to commit suicide. That time, she said, “For what should I live for? I have no reason to live,” and BW scorched her with, “What reason do you need to live? I don’t have a reason either. I just live! It’s not just me. This applies to others too. We all just live!”
Now, she was taking risks all to protect BW.
SK: Why are you looking at me like that?
BW: Truly, you are beautiful.
SK: Did you just realize that?
This is such a coquettish thing to say that I’m shocked. Why wasn’t she censuring Bawoo with “Impudence!” like she used to?
BW: Now that I’m looking at you. Your forehead is smooth and beautiful and the line of your nose is high. The lips too…
Did she blush like a shy maiden? Nope. She just stared at him as if he was telling to continue with his praises. lol.
Then BaWoo moved closer. She blinked but she stayed her ground.
BW: There is no one more beautiful than you in all of the eight provinces of Joseon. At least not in my eyes.
He was embarrassed by his effusive praises so he qualified them with “At least not in my eyes.”
Seriously, if a guy flatters you like BaWoo did, “My dear, there’s no one more beautiful than you in all of 50 states…” your instant reaction should be,
It’s cheesy.
However, it worked for BaWoo because BaWoo was adamant that Sookyung wasn’t much to look at. Remember when ChaDol thought she was a fairy, and he made a face, and called it nonsense?
So now he changed his tune. She was beautiful in his eyes.
SK: Mother is waiting.
BW: Wait, let’s go together.
He hurried after her. Even from behind, they presented such a pretty picture. There was bounce in their steps and the gaiety in their pastel-colored outfits. It was springtime and love was in the air.
2. Bawoo, the King, and DaeYeob
It was nice to see the King, Kim Jae Jeom, and DaeYeob circle their wagons to protect BaWoo from the assassination attempt. Under the King’s intervention, Kim JJ had given him a Joseon-style flak jacket to wear under his clothes. Then, DaeYeob helped him stand up and guided him with his aim.
But their allegiances were shortlived. As soon as he walked out of the sick room, BaWoo told DY that it was his father’s fault.
DY: Are you alright?
BW: Your father started it first.
When ChunBae asked him what they should do next, BaWoo said, “What else can we do? We have to return the favor. If they mess with either me or my family, they must at least expect death in return. at least then, they will think twice about it in the future.”
He’d forgotten what the monk told him.
Monk: Go and kill them all. After you kill them all, you too, will be killed. And if you die, ChaDol will follow in your footsteps, spending his days as a poor man, wasting away on gambling and committing bossam. Bawoo, they say that no flower lasts more than ten days, and even a full moon will eventually wane. Do you think their power will last forever? If you wait long enough, good days will come to you.
When the King called both BW and DY to him, he berated first DaeYeob for failing to report of his father’s assassination plot, next BaWoo for falling victim again to PM Lee’s plot.
To DY: I was certain I told you to report to me every little thing your father did. What were you doing when your father planned to kill him?
To BW: And you, will you continue to be a victim your whole life?
The King might sound heartless but, to me, he was teaching these young men that they were naïve not to anticipate PM Lee’s attack. Just because BaWoo’s title was restored and HwaIn was hidden safely away, they grew complacent.
To rattle them, he threatened to expose HwaIn. If he did that, he predicted that HwaIn would end up a Buddhist monk for the rest of her life.
King: The choice is in the hands of you two. What will you do?
Immediately, BaWoo asked permission to leave the palace to plan something. DaeYeob on the other hand didn’t answer. Bawoo took his leave after being given two weeks to work on his plan.
King: Why haven’t you answered yet? Have you given up on HwaIn? What? Are you afraid that I will use your information to kill your father? Don’t worry. What I desire is for your father to willingly retire, just as his predecessor Jeong In Hong did before him. Things may have gotten messy because of HwaIn, but your father was someone who helped me ascend the throne and has supported me since then. Therefore, it is not small burden for me to decide to kill him instead. It’s not as if your father would quietly die either. It would only spark a war that would result in chaos and confusion in the royal court. Rather than going that route, if I could have your father’s weakness, I think having him quietly resign would be the best method. What will you do?
He articulated well his argument here, and his argument was convincing. But the problematic aspect of his long speech was questioning DaeYeob’s feelings for HwaIn. DY hadn’t given up on her, but was straining himself to follow her wishes to be forgotten by him. To DY, it must have felt like the King was picking at old scabs when he mentioned Hwain. I also wonder whether he felt like the King was taking advantage of his feelings for HwaIn.
DY: I will follow Your Majesty’s orders.
King: Good. You made a difficult decision. I will remember that you and HwaIN had an affection for each other since childhood. You may leave now.
Once DY was gone, the King asked his guard.
King: What’s wrong? Does it seem he doesn’t believe me?
Jung-Yeong: It was not that. I was merely concerned.
King: People will believe what they want to believe. This is the only way he can win HwaIn. He’ll have to trust me, even if he doesn’t want to.
Hmmm.. the King wasn’t playing nice here. He was fueling the rivalry between the two, and using HwaIn as bait.
Outside the King’s quarters, BW was waiting for DY.
BW: What did he say?
DY: (ignored him)
BW: (grabbing his arm) Don’t delude yourself. Do you think we’re friends? To you, I’m the son of your enemy, and to me, you’re the foe who is trying to destroy my household. If it were not for the princess, I would have personally killed you.
Hmmm..I wonder if this how DY felt towards the King. He was controlling himself only because the King was the princess’ father. His loyalty to the Princess was unquestionable.
3. The King and Queen’s meeting
The Queen finally found out that HwaIn was alive after HwaIn sent her a letter.
Queen: You’re really too much. How could you hide this even from me? Since that child died, every single day has been hell for me. My heart was already broken that she was a young widow. And her having died so futilely made me pity her so much. I felt that everything was my fault, so my only thought was to follow here in death. And after seeing me like this every day, you still didn’t tell me? You cannot be this cold-hearted. You cannot be this cruel.
And the Queen’s demeanor is one of the reasons why I find this drama surprisingly calming. This scene could easily have become makjang (or soap-opera-ish) but because she bore her grief and resentment with restraint, she tempered what could have been a hysterical moment.
King: I was in a situation in which I had no choice but to do this.
Queen: Of course you were. I’m sure that you would not have made a living child into a dead child without reason. But I’m that child’s mother.
Her belief in him was steadfast. Whether it was justified was another matter
King: And that was all the more reason I could not tell you. A mother dives into water or fire for the sake of her child. So if you had known that HwaIn was alive, you would have immediately set out to find her. And that would have put HwaIn’s life into further danger.
Wow! If gaslighting was a skill, this King was top-notched. He didn’t tell the Queen because he was prepared to have HwaIn killed if that would get rid of PM Lee for him.
Queen: In that case, even while knowing that she is alive, must I pretend to not know in order for HwaIn to be safe?
King: It was the left state councillor who said that HwaIn committed suicide. He deceived me and the entire council. If he finds out she is still alive, I’m sure you can guess what he will try to do. I did hide her in a safe place. But I have not yet devised a way to completely stop the left state councillor. I cannot tell you more, so please understand.
Queen: (crying)
And now, just like with his meeting with SooKyung, after the King delivered the lies, he became conciliatory. He offered the Queen his handkerchief like an olive branch.
King: I am sorry that I couldn’t tell you, even while knowing how deep your sorrow was. But please understand that it was the last resort in order to ensure HwaIn’s safety. And please believe that I’m still doing my best to continue to ensure her safety.
If it weren’t for BaWoo’s and DaeYeob’s actions, his daughter would have been long dead. It “just” happened that HwaIn was returned to his circle because of the bravery of these two men. HwaIn was alive because they ensured her safe.
Queen: (forgiving him) You don’t have to say that. If I don’t trust you, whom could I trust, Your Majesty?
King: When I think of HwaIn, my heart also feels heavy as if a boulder is tied to it.
Queen: I know how HwaIn was precious to you. I know that better than anyone. How you used to let HwaIn ride on your back during horseplay. I can still remember that image vividly. I will trust that you will protect HwaIn no matter what. And I won’t ask you any questions anymore. So I do have one request, so please hear it.
lol. The King didn’t see this trap coming. This was what she had wanted all along. This was the reason she immediately ran to see the King. She didn’t demand audience with him to get mad at him. She wanted to see her daughter.
King: Tell me.
Queen: HwaIn. Just once…please allow me to meet her, just once. I miss her so much. I cannot hold myself back now that I know she is alive. Please pity me and let me at least see just her face. Please show me your grace.
Nice play, Shakespeare. The King could hardly deny her request. She left the palace, having secured the King’s promise.
I like this scene because it humanized the King. This is one of the few scenes where he didn’t raise his voice and shouted at someone. I guess, that’s also one reason I couldn’t totally despise this King. When it came to his womenfolk, he showed his gentler side. If he wasn’t under so much stress to survive the political fights, he could have been a better man.
4. SooKyung and BaWoo’s sister
I’m glad to see BaWoo’s sister becoming attached to SooKyung. She didn’t know that a Princess was teaching her deportment and manners.
SK: It’s hard isn’t it. To live as a noblewoman isn’t always great. Because there’s a lot of things you have to give up for reputation and dignity.
Sister: To be honest, reputation and dignity don’t feed you. I want to act like a lady, too, you know. But I lived as a peasant since I was very young, I don’t even remember being a noble.
SK: I know it’s hard, but you shouldn’t be scorned because of the past that you and your mother had to endure, should you? Moreover, you need to consider the man you are going to get married to. It’ll be hard, but at least for his sake, try your best.
Her words were very simple but well-grounded. Speaking from experience, she knew that being a commoner’s wife could be liberating. However, she was gently reminding her BaWoo’s sister that she came from the ranks of the nobility. BaWoo’s sister shouldn’t use her underprivileged childhood as an excuse to run away from the demands of her changed station in life. She should keep on trying to do her best.
5. Dressing up BaWoo
I like this scene when she fixes BaWoo’s belt ribbon and cuff ties, smoothens his uniform, and arranges his hat, and straightens his tassle. Then, she warns him to be wary of her father. She’s fussing over him.
I like this scene for two reasons:
One, it reaffirms my belief that marriage isn’t really a big thing. It’s a million little things that you for each other. And when she prepares him to meet her father, she appears like she’s gearing him up for battle.
And two, if ever there’s a kdrama sageuk character in my recent memory that acts very much like she’s happy to be somebody’s wife, then it’s SooKyung. It seems to give her much pleasure to attend to the simple things for BaWoo. For her, this is another one of those elegant experiences she wanted to savor.
Like what I said before, there’s understated beauty even in ordinary things.
Coming soon, Episode 14 (cross my fingers).
I liked the actress who played the Queen. I thought she was very good at expressing the Queen’s grief and longing for her daughter.
The BW-DY dynamic is interesting. They are both ethical and courageous individuals who are devoted to their families. They would have made good friends if if weren’t for the scheming of VP Lee.
I loved the scene of SK and Yeon Ok. The Princess has the ability to win everyone on her side.
And you are so right about married life, @pm3. We have been conditioned to associate love and devotion with grand romantic gestures, but it’s the little acts of attention and care that are much more important in married life. I am very thankful to the writers for showing that, especially in a historical drama.
Ditto your thoughts. I thoroughly enjoy watching this drama. The characters are dignified and restrained; even after now BW and SK being together, their actions and words are in-line with their characters. None of that grand proclamations that wouldn’t have fit with their characters.
I also enjoyed watching BW’s sister’s interactions with SK. With the MIL, I’m on the fence.. seems like MIL can only be super kind or unpleasant. I wonder how the family was like pre-incarceration e.g. was the MIL usually kind and only through these tough times of having to hide and protect her son and daughter that she became a tougher lady. Also I can’t put my finger on the MIL’s displeasure at SK being a peasant when the SIL is also one. But maybe it’s because of the rule (per the show) that sons borned from a non-noble wife won’t be able to take the govt exams and hence, the MIL’s displeasure.
Yes, @Snow Flower. It’s tiring to watch these kdramas make a big production of the courtship. They make it a date look like an event, e.g., a date at a theme park or a date with fireworks to cap off the evening, when all I want sometimes is just ordinary, low-key companionship. I liked it too when BaWoo left their residence, and SK went to the wall to watch him walk away. Her face was teeny-tiny. lol. But I thought that’s what a wife would do if they were still on “honeymoon” stage and the husband was suddenly summoned by the King. She’d naturally worry about her husband’s safety.
I can somehow understand the mother-in-law’s hostility. For the mom, BaWoo was the one who’d redeem the family’s illustrious name. She was willing to die and take the secret of BaWoo’s whereabout to the grave. As long as BaWoo existed, their family name could be restored. And that mattered a lot for her because their clan was totally wiped out.
To her, BW could have done better in marrying a nobility. If they had been peasants, there was no question that SK would have been considered a suitable match. But as a yangban and a lineage to maintain, BW had to marry within his class so his sons could retain their social status. In the mother’s mind, what good was getting the name restored, when it would die with BaWoo anyway because he married a commoner?
As for the sister-in-law, it didn’t matter for the mom, because she wouldn’t carry the family name anyway.
I loved the scene of the lovebirds standing under the cherry trees in bloom–such a contrast to the bare tree they stood under in the first episode, standing apart from one another, looking out into the distance and not at one another (it was one of the scenes @pm3 mentioned in her On Cinematography post). I’m sure the art director/cinematographer set this up, in part, as a contrast to that tree.
@packmule3, definitely true. This tradition of carrying on the family line still lives on today in Asian cultures lol. Now I’m interested to know what does mum think about the actual wife! Drama.
I’m going to wrap up Ep 14 soon. You can read it while waiting for Bossam Ep 15 is being subbed.
🙂
I think I am watching too many dramas.
currently watching: J-drama
Love Kome no Okite
Rikokatsu
Renai Mangaka
Koi wa Deep ni
Kikazaru Koi niha Riyuu ga Atte
K- drama
Bossam
HP 2
We are already in ep 15, and 2 more weeks we will be done with this.
I like how you outlined the steps and intricacies of how it could be considered marriage.
Even though in some episodes, there is not much time for the leads, the short amoutn of time spent at staring each other or tending to each other seems so real. Don’t know if they dating or considering it behind the scenes.
SK is a smarty princess. She know that her father plays politics and the left councilor would do anything to hurt BW. I was glad seeing her warning BW. I also enjoyed how she got involved and help BW corner LW and get his son kicked out the police department. It was sad seeing the BIL killed.
In today’s episode (ep 16 preview), BW comes and kicks out CD bio-mom. The MIL also sees the difference between SK and CD’s bio mom.
I look forward to your post on ep 14. I have not watched the english subbed version yet. I will club all the ones and watch it together.
This is my first time having to wait for subs since I binge watched to catch up. How long does it usually take? I’m so curious to know what CD’s mom was saying. Obviously SK handled herself well, the actress really does body language well. Even without knowing what she was saying, I felt comforted while she was talking with CD.
Usually it takes a day for the subs with Bossam. But those are not complete – maybe like 75%. The rest 25% takes another 2 days. So, I stopped waiting for the subs as episodes progressed and it would get lost in the rest of the dramas I watch on other days.
Way too slow with subbing especially one where many are truly interested in this. Some are worried that this show would get cancelled and are waiting for it to finish before starting to watch.
I don’t think I’ve ever watched a show in real time where the subs are this slow! I’m thankful I can at least watch and see what happens. I much prefer the VIKI translations to Netflix especially sageuks. they provide context that I wouldn’t otherwise know but sheesh, are people really not watching this gem??
It along with Mad for Each other are my favorites out right now and MFEO ends tomorrow.