Dramatic Friday Review: Dr Jin ep 20

I think that I rambled enough in my last post, so there's not much need to do it here {really is there ever any need one might ask? Sure, I say (obviously since I'm the rambling one).  It helps one get a feel for the writer. Plus it helps the writer settle in and get cozy before ripping delving into a review.}  All I will say is that back-to-school shopping is not very fun on the last day of summer and the day post "Meet the Teacher" night.  Has anyone else ever experienced this where the list that the district puts out and that the stores are so kind to provide are completely and totally wrong?  The teachers always want different stuff.  So it's difficult to start really shopping in earnest until you get the actual list from the actual teacher as to what they will actually need.  Obviously a lot of parents feel this way as the store today was so incredibly jam packed and the stuff was all gone.  Seriously, Random Retail Store That Shall Not Be Named, how do you run out of pencils?  Pencils!  Every kid is going to need pencils.  Yet you have shelf after endless shelf stuffed full of things we don't need.  It was a zoo.  Lots of frustrated and lost shoppers searching through the "extras" to find the necessities to no avail.  Oh well.  We'll raid our stash for whatever we have leftover from years past (I tend to horde office supplies - it's a sickness, really) and just send them with what they have.  I don't have time to go searching all over town - I have a Korean drama to review after all!  

With that, how about we talk about something a lot more interesting than pencils and backpacks?

A little Jin perhaps?

{No smart aleck comments now about how awful pencils and backpacks must be if Jin is a step upward in interest level.  I'm watching you.  Yes, I mean you.  That one that was about to make some snarky comment about this here show/episode I'm about to review.  I see you and now I've got my eye on you.  O_O}

When we begin our episode, Young Rae is in prison.  Kyung Tak visits her there.  He asks her to apostacize/deny her faith in order to spare her life.  Then Jin visits her and reiterates what Kyung Tak said.  He begs her, saying that if she can't do it for her sake, to do it for his.

She doesn't.  Big surprise there.  Lucky for her, Kyung Tak obviously still has a thing for her, because of what he does next in order to save her.  The secret treaty between Prince Heung Seon and Catholic Priest Ridel, the one that guarantees peace and no war, is being moved to the Finance Minister's house.  Byung Hee doesn't feel it is safe to keep it at his place as they were robbed once before (remember the chest of gold?).  KT knows the plan and it becomes evident that he has told Young Hwi when a "robbery" is staged during the transport of the document.  KT and YH face off, and KT asks YH to injure him so that he is not suspected.  

Maybe a little overkill in pictures, but JaeJoong looked really hott in these shots, so I included a few extras for kicks.  Not that I thought any one would mind or complain -- you can never have too much Jae, right?

The document is safely procured by YH and his men, which means that Byung Hee no longer has a weapon to use against Prince Heung Seon.  Heung Seon is free to return to his position of power and act according to his own desires.  This is good news for Young Rae and the rest of the Christian prisoners.  We of course had to have the long, drawn out, will she/won't she moment.  Will she renounce her faith and spare her life or will she die a martyr by the executioner's blade? 

She chooses the blade.

Duh.

Was there ever any doubt?

It wouldn't be very dramatic if she didn't, now would it?

 It would have made the dramatic last minute save by the king's edict a little less dramatic, don't you think?  Lucky for YR, that edict does come.

 The Christians are released and freed from further persecution.

PigDog McNasty, who was overseeing the executions had some awesome facial responses at the news that heads would not be rolling.

 He ran and told Daddy.

Daddy wasn't too happy either.

Jin was.  He tells Young Rae that he wants to protect her as long as he is in this world.  He's convinced that the whole reason he came to Joseon was to save her.  I'm not so sure.  Guess we'll find out.  In two more episodes or less.

Byung Hee isn't done yet.  He is counting on the people to have an unfavorable response to the king's release of the Christians.  He is plotting, again.  Whatever, it's another chance for a little Jae.

 Byung Hee is complaining to the king, when the king, not his father, actually steps up and takes a stand.  I loved this part!

Look, dude.  My mom is a Christian and my father released them.  How can an unfilial son qualify to be a King?  Let it go.  I'm King and you're not, neener neener neener!  {Ok, maybe a little paraphrasing there}

That's the look of an old man who just got told off by a kid that has more power than him.  Oh, and just found out that he and the other noblemen and scholars have to start paying taxes now.

See?  Officer Lee is reading the proclamation now.

Taxes for everyone, not just the poor.  This is an attempt to appease the people who are mad about the whole Catholic thing.  Turns out that more than Catholics, the general populace really hate the noblemen who live off of their hard work and taxes.

Byung Hee is mad.  You can tell because he is wiping his orchid plant, again.  Have you noticed that this is his "thing" lately?  Whenever he is at his scariest, he's wiping the leaves of his plant?  This time he's talking to Dae Gyun about a bug that has infested his plant.  He means that there is possibly a bug in the family.  He's starting to suspect Kyung Tak.  He dramatically rips out the plant and throws it down at Dae Gyun while ordering him to follow his brother.

Watch out Kyung Tak.  Daddy's coming for you.

KT isn't the only one Byung Hee is gunning for.

Dr Jin is called to the Left State Minister's home for a doctor visit.  Of course BH was just faking it.  His real purpose is soon revealed - Dr Jin's pouch of modern day stuff.

BH takes the news that this guy is from the future quite well I must say.  Like really well.  Creepy and weird well.  I don't know if I would be so accepting as he is, but then again, everyone in this drama has accepted it pretty much without much surprise or shock, so this one shouldn't be any different I suppose.  BH wants Jin to tell him the things that he knows.  He wants insider information.  He knows Jin has been helping Heung Seon and attributes the Prince's success to Jin's involvement.  Jin refuses to spill the beans on what he knows to BH or anyone else for that matter.  He's done messing with history and meddling in the past.

So what does Byung Hee do?  Calls for Priest Ridel to be found and brought to him.

Once he has Ridel, BH asks him to return to Joseon with his war ships.  What?  He's actually requesting a war to be brought to his own shores so that he can capture more power?  That's how sick and twisted this guy has become?

 Dae Gyun is totally on board with this plan as well.  Rotten apple falling from a rotten tree.

This one was funny to me.  "My father has power to do such a thing!"  Kind of like "My dad is super strong and can beat up your dad!"  Dae Gyun is really like a giant spoiled child.

Kyung Tak is a less rotten apple and not quite so on board.  But Dad orders him to go after the priests and help them make the decision.  He is to kill all but Ridel.  You know, in an attempt to anger Ridel enough so that he will return with his warships and attack Joseon.

At this point, Jin has realized something.  He has really screwed up history by all of his meddling.  Saving the Catholics.  Preventing war.  It's all morphing and becoming this really messed up beast of a problem.  The events of the past are starting to conflict with each other and are being shattered.  Duh.  Ya think?  Oh what a tangled web we weave when we practice to alter history in order to save the life of one person who is supposedly fated to die in this world and the other.  Nice going there Dr J.

The priests have started to leave for China.  Kyung Tak and his men arrive, and KT hesitatingly orders the archers to open fire.

Ridel's two companions are killed and it looks like the mission was a success - Ridel does indeed look like one pee'd off Frenchman.  I think history is determined to right itself any way possible, so I don't hold KT personally responsible.  It's all Jin's fault.  KT is just being used as a pawn to fix what Jin broke.

Okay, final scene.  I promise, then we can all get back to our regularly scheduled lives.

Jin is being stalked by two guys.  And then he is attacked.  Choon Hong races out and steps in front of him right as a sword is thrust in his direction.  She takes the hit to the heart.

 There's a surgery.  At one point her heart stops, but Jin is able to bring it back.  All along she is trying to tell him something, one last fact that he doesn't know, but needs to.  He refuses to hear it earlier before she was hurt.  He refuses to let her speak after she was hurt.  Meanwhile I'm screaming at him to let her talk because I want to know what it is she has to say and heaven help me, if she dies before I hear it I'm going to really lose it!  When her heart stopped, I was ticked off.  They can not kill her without me hearing what it is she has to say since she's the only person here who has any idea of what is going on and I can't stand the mystery anymore!  She pulls through the surgery and awakes.  Again, she tries to tell him what she has to tell him, but again he tries to get her to stop.  ARGH!  SHUT UP!  Let the lady talk!  FINALLY, she can get a word in edgewise with Mr Spoilsport.  What does she tell him?  That YR cannot be saved.  It is her fate to not be saved.  He's messed things up royally while trying to accomplish the impossible and she, Choon Hong, returned to try to protect him.  Oh, yeah, and by the way, Mi Na is already dead in the future.

And with that, Choon Hong dies.

Yup.  She dies.  How is Jin going to clean up this disastrous mess he has created without her help and knowledge?  He's proven that he sucks at it on his own.  His attempts have all resulted in one disaster after another occurring.  I suppose we'll see how he fixes it all up in next week's dramatic conclusion.  Somehow they have to take this big old mess and tie it up with a neat little bow in two episodes.  Good luck with that one.  

Can you believe that in just a few days' time this fun little journey will be over?  Can you believe that I am willingly taking on another time travelling medical show after this one?  Hahahaha!  It's true.  Faith is what is next for me.  What can I say?  I love me some Lee Min HoTT.  Almost as much as JaeJoong.  Almost.  JaeJoong, don't worry, Nuna still loves you the mostest!  >//<  Thankfully Faith looks like it's going to be good.  It better be.  Seriously.  It better be amazing!  Or else!  Or else I will kick and cry and scream like a 2 year old who just had her yummy treat taken away from her.   It won't be pretty.    

And that will do it for me for today.  That's about all the attention span I can spare for now.  Too many shiny things and such to distract me.  Yup, it's a full blown case of end-of-summer-itis around here!  Ta ta for now AddicKts!  Go now - enjoy your summer and whatever is left of it!  Maybe even fit in a little Olympics.  Cheers!