Dramatic Friday Review: Dr Jin ep 10

As far as I can gather, this show is going to be 20 episodes, which means that we have reached our Time Slip Dr Jin halfway point.  Wow.  Hard to believe, isn't it?  Seems like just yesterday we were seeing Jaejoong dressed in his old timey cop uniform for the first time.  Did you ever see that picture of him from filming?  You know, the one where he is sipping on his smoothie while in costume?

Yeah.  That one.

Mmm...hmm!  That's one delicious looking smoothie right there.  Makes me want a smoothie too.

Wait, what? What'd you think I was going to say?

That an ovary or two were lost in a tragic explosion at the mere sight of this photograph?

As if.

;)

Let's just take a moment to remember back to those more innocent times...the time before Brain Baby and cheesy predictable plots.  A time when we were happy and looked forward to this series.  Ah, those were good times, were they not?

Well, guess what?  You're not going to believe me when I say this, but I'll say it anyway.  I really liked episode 10.  GASP!  I know, right?!  Yay!  And it wasn't just because Dr Jin prescribes medical donuts (though you must admit, that's pretty darn daebak, is it not?).  No, I really liked the plot of this one.  I like that some of the characters and the relationship between the characters are getting more complex.  It's starting to play out like a Korean drama should.  Maybe I've just become numb to the things that originally turned me off to it, who knows.  I do tend to be pretty forgiving of my stories.  I am really jumping ahead here in my recap/review, but since I'm talking about the positives, I like that Kyung Tak is apparently Prince Heung Seon's "double edged sword".  Ooh!  I probably should have seen it coming, but I didn't and I love when dramas surprise me (which they normally do which is one of the many reasons I love them so).  So yay - a positive Jin experience this time around!

Now, without further introduction, how about I recap the episode?

Remember how at the end of episode 9 we find out that Young Rae's mother, who I will just call Lady Hong because she's never actually given a name, has collapsed and is ill?  Young Rae and Dr Jin rush to her bedside and are, for all intents and purposes, tossed out on their behinds.  Lady Hong refuses care from either one of them.  Looks like she's still a little upset about the whole broken engagement thing.  It turns out that she has something called beriberi, a common illness caused by a vitamin B deficiency from eating too much white rice.  The best cure is to eat healthy foods, but Lady Hong has refused to do so.  Knowing of her love for treats and trying new things, Jin and his crew make up a batch of medical donuts.  Yes, you heard me right - donuts for medicine.  Maybe that was the real turning point for me and Dr Jin.  Actually, I don't much care for donuts myself, but still, I love the idea of medical ones.  Now, these aren't exactly Krispie Kremes we're talking about here.  They were made with brown rice and black beans, sugar, and... wait for it... sesame oil.  I'm actually okay with it until you add in the sesame oil.  I've had brownies made with black beans before and they were delicious.  You'd never know they had such an odd ingredient, so I know that it can be done - making yummy things with healthier ingredients.  But sesame oil?  Uhm...yeah...that's a Korean thing that I'm still not accustomed to.  But to each their own.

Anyway, so the healthy donuts are made and declared delicious.  Sesame oil and all.

They are brought to Lady Hong, who of course is stubborn and refuses to eat them when Young Hwi brings them to her, but as soon as he leaves, she takes a little nibble.  She likes it and eats more and finally her health starts to improve.  Or I'm assuming it improves because we don't hear much else about her the rest of the episode.

There's a bit of a rub regarding the banquet being thrown by Prince Heung Seon in honor of the Queen Dowager's birthday.  A bunch of people beg her not to go through with it, citing that with things being so difficult for the common folk, it would be rude to do so.

She is at first swayed, but then Prince Heung Seon works his magic and uses his skills against Byung Hee, PigDog, the Hyena, and the Royal Doctor, turning it around to where they can't refuse.  He tells Byung Hee about the attempt on his, Ha Eung's, life at the hands of PigDog, which is a major felony since he's part of the royal family.  Looks like the party's back on.  So of course, the Nasty 4 put their nefarious plotting hats back on and figure out another way to get Heung Seon, Jin and the Queen Dowager.

Two of Young Hwi's gang members have been arrested in Kyung Tak's increased efforts brought on by his broken heart.  They are subsequently killed and their heads mounted on display in the public square.

Young Hwi is pressured by his men to seek revenge for their fallen comrades and kill the Left State Minister, which he is saddened to do, what with Byung Hee being the father of his best friend and all.  Young Hwi and Kyung Tak have a sit down, with Young Hwi basically saying that he is sorry and goodbye to his friend.

At the banquet, Young Hwi is on a rooftop, taking aim at Byung Hee with a poisoned arrow, when he is spotted and reported to Kyung Tak by none other than Myeong Bok, Prince Heung Seon's son and future King Gojong.  I know the kid was just trying to be helpful, but dang!  So close!

KT shoots YH and a fight scene breaks out.

Young Hwi barely escapes with his life, but in the process, his identity is revealed to Kyung Tak.

Poor poor Kyung Tak.  Here we go again!  First his daddy hates him.  His big brother is a big mean bully and constantly pushes him around.  Then the girl he's loved for 20 years breaks off their engagement.  Now his best friend turns out to be his arch enemy.  When will this poor guy get a break?  

The Nasty 4 have plotted to poison the Queen Dowager using the medical donuts in an attempt to frame Dr Jin and Prince Heung Seon.  She takes a bite and collapses.

Did anyone else notice how nervous PigDog got every time the QD came close to eating a donut?  That should have been a dead giveaway right then and there if any one at the banquet had been paying attention.

I just about died when Myeong Bok ate the donut!  Why was he okay when one bite took down the QD?

Instantly the Royal Doctor knows it's arsenic.  Hmmm..... Now, just how would he know that exactly?  Hmmm?  Suspicious much? Once again, Dr Jin goes against the Royal Doctor's treatment plan and saves the Queen Dowager by pumping and flushing her stomach before giving her a detoxifying mixture.

And of course, they are promptly arrested afterwards.  Only this time, instead of just being arrested and questioned, he and Young Rae are beaten and tortured.

They're trying to get them to name Prince Heung Seon as the one responsible for poisoning the Queen Dowager.

Young Rae gets the same burning iron treatment that the gisaeng Gae Yang had at the hands of PigDog McNasty.  Right as Kyung Tak enters the torture chamber.  Will this be his breaking point?  Watching the woman that broke his heart but that he has loved all his life being tortured by his evil brother and his cronies?  Prince Heung Seon better hope so because his options and allies are running out.  The Queen Dowager's attempted murder has been pinned on the doctor and the clinic, Young Hwi's gang has been wiped out, and Young Hwi's identity revealed.  It's to be assumed that his own loyalties will be in question now as well.  The Nasty 4 have done their best to squash any chance of rebellion on PHS's part.  What is he to do now?  Who can he turn to?  Enter the wild card - Kyung Tak.

Here he has just been told that his fiance was arrested for poisoning the Queen Dowager.

Now, a have a couple of screenshots of some notable moments that didn't make it in to the recap, but are noteworthy enough that I feel they should be mentioned before I sign off for this week.

Heung Seon begins Myeong Bok's training to be the next king by giving him this book.  Looks like he's serious about putting his son on the throne.

I loved, loved, loved the scene where Kyung Tak finally stands up to his brother.

Called the worthless son of a concubine one too many times he exclaims, "I also have the blood of His Excellency flowing throughout my body."  And adds an "Oh, and I'm better than you, how does that make you feel knowing that?" for good measure.

"I won't let anyone abuse me any longer."

Yay Kyung Tak!  I'm so proud of you!  

I also got a kick out of the scene where Joo Pal is given a public officer position.  He was so proud of his new uniform and wore it so proudly.  From gangster leader of the market and loan shark to King's officer.

And there you go...episode 10.  We're halfway there and it's finally starting to pick up a bit, at least in the humble opinion of this crazy ahjumma.  I'd love to hear your opinions and take on it though.  Like it?  Love it?  Do you want some more of it?

Until next week dear readers, have a great weekend and enjoy some dramas!