I'm Jessica and this is ATC presents. Their Bucky Rambles. Were a couple of friends review Korean dramas on a very special episode. I have my guest today. Alex from the Holly been podcasting Gasps how are you Alex? I'm doing great. Thank you for having me. How are you? I'm so happy for you to be. Here, we have been very friendly all over the socials for a while now and I'm just so excited who have a fellow podcaster on and to talk about a very special drama.
It is the very first sangguk AKA historical kdrama that were covering on the biblical rumbles podcast ever. So I just wanted to break it in with a wonderful guest who was willing and able to watch a psychic. That is not One's cup of tea. If you don't know Alex she has her own podcast, a k-drama podcast or Holly you podcast, and she is just wonderful. Please go give her podcast a listen. Please go give it a follow. All over the socials as well. Alex, what was your introduction
to kdramas? So my introduction was one that I think was one for a lot of other people. It was Boys Over Flowers. Yes, but I didn't watch it. Until like the end of 2018. So it's like lately to the game. Wow. Okay, so you watched it almost a decade after it was aired. Yes, I was actually in grad school. So I was working full-time and doing grad school and I was online. But my school got hit by a hurricane. So we were out of class for like a month was my last semester.
Wait, well, hurricane was this? Because I live in Florida, it North Carolina. I don't. Ok. Ok. So as well as goes, yeah. Got you, I don't remember which one it was, but the name of it was, but it was one of those. Like I was I'm I was in North Carolina at the time but I was Inland. So it was fine. Yeah. But like obviously my school wasn't like it. Wilmington got hit really hard like you can't even get in for the longest time. So no school for a month and that was the first time in
almost two years. I had free time. So I was like, I don't know what to do and I'd like to just kind of Netflix and I was like, you know what, I had heard a Boys Over Flowers from the from, like the manual or the mango or whatever. Yeah. Yes, says like I'm gonna watch this and then at the same time as when M Garden was airing. Oh shit. That's right. The Chinese remake. Yes. So I literally went from from Boys Over Flowers, like binged it because it was amazing.
Even, you know in 2018 it was it's so good. Like it's bad. Like it's cheesy but it's great. And and I went straight from that to like Meteor Garden, and that's not just big step up to like, it is like the end of your same story. Over again. It's the same thing but they made some improvements like surgical Cuts is just very good. Very well done and I can't believe you just got skip to like you know it's hot. I don't think I made the jump to like a Mandarin language drama
for like years. They took no really I'm too yeah almost wasn't immediate like you've made the jump real fast II, jumped ship from Korean dramas like immediately. So with that and I just went through like Taiwanese dramas for a while like for a Longtime the Taiwanese dramas are like a whole other ballgame. Yeah. Nice. Yes I did that. And it wasn't until I got into Kpop later. That I kind of went back to the Korean dramas. Nice. Okay. Full circle. Full circle, love it.
Yes. So if you if you don't know about Kate Boys Over Flowers, I highly recommend you go research it. I not sure that I would still this day, I'm not sure if I would say, watch Boys Over Flowers but it is foundational for so many people foundational for me. It was like my second kdrama ever and I came out of that drama loving it and I was madly
in love with Lee Min-ho right? I mean so yeah yes so there is if That was a tree that would definitely be a ring on the trees like the Lehman haut de Lulu era. So anyway, in that era, oh good, I love to hear it. Thank you so much for giving your background on kdrama. I am going to ask this of more guests as they come on because I think that's always a fun question to ask. How did you even get here? Because it's nice. Never like a natural. Like, well, I was watching.
Ting. Once Upon a Time on ABC, Family, and then they showed a kdrama right after the show ended and is very natural. No, and never, it's not like that, not that easy. Again, I'm going to go into some housekeeping really fast before we get started. So if this is your first time listening, go ahead and subscribe on your favorite pot asked app. We are so happy that you are here to join us. We're on Apple podcast, Spotify, Google podcasts, and many more.
And if you like us, please give us a review and a five stars on Apple podcast and spot. Come and say hi on social media. I run wild on the socials. You can find me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Tick-Tock at ATC debauch pod. And lastly, if you're a fan, please consider becoming a patron. It is such a great way for you. Get it to you for you to get involved and to show your support. You can check out the page on patreon.com slash always critic pod, and thank you to our
patrons. Janet, Curtis, Robin and bail. You guys are wonderful. All right, so we're going to get started talking about the synopsis and the are day and all that for the Ground clown so I'll read them. I'd Ramallah synopsis. I have cut it down tremendously because it was long and weirdly written.
So here's here goes, Jocelyn is in a state of disorder, due to uprisings in a power, struggle surrounding King, even to avoid assassination, a clown named Hassan who looks almost identical to the king is brought to the Palace to take his place. Now, Hassan is nervous that someone in the palace will find out, he's not the real King. He falls in love with the beautiful queen. You saw.
So the crown clown originally aired from January to March 2019. It's 16 episodes long and I believe you both watched it on Netflix, so it's currently available on Netflix. If you want to watch it yourself it has Kim. He won as the Director. She is a very prolific director because she's directed Vincenzo soundtrack. Number one and Little Women, which is currently airing right now in the year 2022.
And actually we just covered Vincenzo like an episode or two two ago in this currencies and that we're on. So that's wonderful. You can just scroll back in your podcast feed and listen to another Kimmy. One drama. The ground clown was written by Kim Sun duck and there's not much info on the screen writer. I think that he wrote another Saga but it's quite unclear. So I'm not going to go ahead and say, like he wrote this, I don't know, and it's co-written by shouldn't happen.
She is a wonderful screenwriter who wrote Hometown, Ted chaough from 2021. So, I kind of get the feeling that Kim Sun duck. It's brought a lot of the historical and Saga aspect of it. And then she known wrote, probably a lot of the more tender moments throughout the show because of how her work on Hometown, chatter child. Let's just divide that I get, is very good show Stars. Yes, I'm Tasha definitely watch it. The show Stars Yeo Jin, goo as Hassan and King Ethan he's been in about 13.
Movies including Hawaii a monster boy which is an action. Since this action suspense thriller with an All-Star cast and he's been at about 25 TV shows, he's played pretty much every vert younger version of an actor. You could possibly think of and he was a prolific child actor. So it's kind of weird for a lot of people to see him grown up and play a more mature roles. We did Cover a judging go drama. Last Is it on their back? And that was beyond evil.
So that was the 2021 drama. I think for 2022 people might recognize him from link. Eat love kill you might recognize him from hotel, de luna, my Absolute Boyfriend. A lot of Dramas, he's very, he's got a very well-known face. I would feel like you could probably be like oh, it's that guy. He's co-star. Is he saying? As she plays Queen Stone?
Also a child actor. And she's been in dramas since 2002, and you might see her recently in the Reds leave from 2021, which was up for a bunch of facts on the wards and was really well, received, critically, and commercially. And recently, I think she's on the currently airing drama. The law Cafe. Are you watching the law Cafe? I'm not, I've never even heard of it. Fair enough. Fair enough. I'm not going to knock you for watching. Curly, are you drama? I am constantly trying to play
catch-up. So yeah, that's a whole nother story for me. A lot of kdrama washers, but you saying is a great actress, the supporting actors. I'll go through two of them because there's a lot of actors in this drama but just two of them. Kim Seung Ki young as Chief secretary and he's been in like nineteen movies, including the pirate. / Royal treasure from this year 2022. And I think this is pretty big. He started memories of murder from 2003. He played Detective salt alien Big deal.
He's been about 14 TV shows, including most recently racketboy is from 2021. And then, we also have one. Hey, he'll as she's to the left State Chancellor, buzz, buzz word in any psychic trauma. He's another crazy. Great idea. She of kdrama and K Cinema. He's been in about fifty two movies.
He's been acting since the 90s. I think I saw him last in Peninsula from I need 20, which is the train to Busan Sequel and then he's been in 47k, trembles including winter Sonata from 20 2002. My name is Kim Sam Soon with hyeongbin from 2005 Cain and Abel, which is such an underrated kdramas knee. He's been in lie to me, which was my first kdrama ever jealousy. Incarnate searched www from 2019, which we also covered this season on the pod. P on Netflix.
That's a 2021 drama. And I think most recently forecasting love and whether off from this year 2022, you watch that one? No, no I did not. So I sometimes my tone gives away like how I feel, but I'm not a song kong person so it takes me a while to go through his filmography. If I even like get there and then POC menu and I was like, you know, whatever she's doing
like Same thing over and over. I love her and I actually have a little bit of a weather nerd, so I was like, super excited about it and I made it like four episodes before I dropped it. Oh shit. Okay, so I'm okay and yeah thinking yeah no I really need a maybe post hurricane because I've watched her kdramas post hurricanes and those are such a weirdo state that you're in but here watching a gauge on.
Okay, so we are on the other side of who's behind the camera and who's in front of the camera. Alex, tell me, what are your general thoughts on the crowned clown? So, the first episode took me three weeks to watch because I hated it and I actually ended up really enjoying the show somehow good night. All right, the the first episode was miserable to get through. But after that, I think all the side characters are what sold it for me. Like, honestly. Like, I love you. Oh, jingle.
Like, he was one of the first actors that I probably recognized in movies or in dramas because I watched Hotel Del Luna and Absolute Boyfriend, like back. To back and do my son. And I was like because I really liked it, but I was like, just great and that was also my introduction. I you I had no idea who she was and Hotel Del Luna, right. Right. Are you the fairy goddess Queen? Right? No idea. I was like, oh, she's great. I love her and then everyone was like, yeah, no kidding.
So how does I was really excited? Because I'm not a big like, like historical drama person anyway, but I was like, it's not looking good. It's fine and and know No, he did not carry the show for me at all. Um, really okay. So um, the the character development of like the the side characters though when getting to know them I just I loved it. It was there so good and like a eunuch Joe was adorable.
Yes. So there's some people that you're like you leave a drama and you're like they are some of the heart of the show he and he was so cute what's adorable? I would die for that man. He is Lovely. Just absolutely wonderful. Okay. So you were sold on the side. Characters weren't really even though you loved you didn't gu you were not sticking around to finish the show necessarily for him.
His acting was great, like, absolutely like being able to play two characters and make them feel like, two different characters is such a hard thing to do, but but I just, I hated both the characters. Well, let me ask that, like, why did you Hey, those characters because he is playing two different routes. So so the OG King, I don't remember Lee. Hyung. Yeah, without getting too much into spoilers. He's just kind of a jerk all over like, no matter what he was
mean to literally everybody. And I'm like, I just not here for the toxicity. Like, yeah, it's sort of, it makes sense. Like, as you kind of get to know more More like, what's going on? It makes sense, which is why I think it got better for me towards the later in the show. When you start to figure out everything out a little bit more but like in the first episode where it's just like, he's just like doing his thing. Killing a lot of people and I'm
like, this is pointless. Um, okay, I see you weren't quite gelling with like the political know I'd about it all, okay. And then for like, Hassan, he he got better towards the end, but it was like, I don't know what it was about him, but it was just like he was just kind of like doing things that didn't make sense and not always
listening to people. And then just Which I mean, I guess it fits his character like, like it makes sense, but I just didn't like, like, I everybody's infatuated with him for some reason and I just wasn't like in the show, like, people were like, oh, I kind of love you, You're great. And I'm like, is he? Okay. So let's put a, put a book Yak on that because I really wanna dissect that. But for my general thoughts, I thought this was one of the best Saga books I have ever watched
in my life. Of that. You got me so worried because you were sending me messages saying, it took me three weeks to finish episode one, and I was like, what? Like that it started it yet and I was so worried. I was like, oh shit, what am I gonna do? I don't have like three weeks to just spend on one episode. So I was like, really bugging. So I watched this show within a week. All 16 episodes within a week. Took me no time. Had no issues getting through the episode.
Thuds episode 1 was I found a very great episode, really good ended on a cliffhanger. Showed you everything you needed to know all the players involved. The factions or the political aspects that are at play here and I think ultimately I was sold on this. The story that's basically inspired by Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper. Blueprint where someone is replacing another person. There's doppelgangers involved.
And even though it's kind of one-sided because the king doesn't replace the clown, you know what I'm saying? I would have been sired. That would be you know what? The way to the right things but they didn't do that. It was just one-sided. Really liked you watching Goos acting. Yeah. It was a great away Blown Away by his acting. I thought that he just had so much versatility. One side of him was alarming and unhinged and then the other side was incredibly endearing and righteous.
And I think the scenes that really spoke to me for his performance were the ones where he was acting against himself and there were precious few of them but they were so captivating to watch him playing off of himself, which again, Parent Trap that somehow because there's no way that he's in the
same frame at the same time. So it's really cool because he's probably playing off of nothing when he's filming it but then they you know CG is superimposed whatever both of them in post and it's just really cool to see him play. This really crazy King who actually existed like a lot of these characters and politician. Ins are based on real-life politicians of you're in Korea. So, I caught a like, oh my God.
Now it's like a semi historically accurate, not historically accurate with a, with a clown taking over the Kings, but doc, doesn't, that's not part of the history. But I do like when I like when Saga Cooks, take a seed of like a story in history and blow it out of proportions and that's what this show is, I didn't have that much issue. With the political aspects, I find that over time. I have gotten a lot more comfortable with Palace, politics and etiquette, and all that crap.
That's in the historical. Dramas, if you had asked me 10 years ago, what I thought of this drama or whatever and you made me watch it back then I probably wouldn't be so up on it because of all of the political machinations that are happening throughout the show. Yeah, I think that was a lot of. My problem is, I've only watched like two or three other like
historical dramas. Okay. All right, let me know if you had any questions later on in the spoiler section because I can try and answer them for you. I was trying to figure out stuff too but then I was like I had this thought in my head I was like man I don't know if Alex has watched a lot of Psychics. Maybe this is like a like tough anyway. What can talk about that later?
But you know one thing that I know 10 years ago I would have liked as much as I loved today was the romance between Hassan And the queen. Um, what did you think of that? I felt really bad for the queen early on when it was like she doesn't really know what she's getting into. Um, okay. Because like, she's just clearly like falling for him, but I wasn't sure how I was going to end. So I was like, this is going to maybe devastate her at some point.
Um, so I feel really bad for her on that end, but the actual like Rome edits from itself. I'm a sucker for romance. I was here for it. I was here, I was like eating it up like it was a five course meal as well. I loved you so long as the queen, I had only seen her before in the red sleeve, which is another Saugatuck, from a recent Saga house. Like she is amazing in the red sleeve uncredible show, incredible performance. And I thought, when I saw her as a queen and this y'all was like,
what is homegirl going to do? Because she has in my personal bias opinion, or whatever. She has huge shoes to fill and they're her own shoes. What am I gonna do if she was, like, knock if she's not that good? Good in this. She was great. She was great, she was wonderful Queen, I found her character. So quiet, graceful, gentle sweet, a dignified and all these aspects that sometimes in Saugus, you don't have a love interest that meets all of these things, wonderful criteria.
You know, she was very intelligent and intuitive, especially when it came to Palace Affairs and etiquette. And ultimately, I admired how she had a way with words. I found that she was a Rate Sweet Talker. Yeah and she had the most romantic things to say. I was like, homegirl. He is whipped already. You don't need to do this. Like this is extra and it was
just beautiful, beautiful. I think that to your point to talk about some of the other side characters, I found that in general, most of the characters were painted in Shades of Gray. There were not like black and white good and bad characters.
So I think on the surface there are but if you look a little closer, you're like, wow, these people have valid motivations or they have a really interesting backstory that makes them interesting to juxtaposed against the other person that's on the good, you know, quote unquote team for the, you know, clown. And I love that about the show that you can. You can chew on the fat a little bit on the other side characters. And not just Is he oh my God, I'm messing up.
His name, haasan's clown character and his doppelganger with the King. I think the last couple things that I'll say, is that I found this show to be kind of, how do I put it? Like, it was kind of like a loss of Innocence story in more ways than one. Yes, and that's really compelling to me. I don't feel like, hey, dramas necessarily are known for painting pictures of like, loss of innocence. And, you know, learning trial by fire.
Fire and stuff like that. It's usually the person is the protagonist is Good from the beginning and they just have a lot of hardships, but they're still good throughout. And sometimes in this show, that's not the case. Like they go through a lot of moral quandaries and they have they asked a lot of questions of themselves and others. So I found that really great, you know, in a in any drama. That's a good thing, right? No, I agree. I think they Did a really good job of that.
And like you said, with the Shades of Gray on the characters, I'm a sucker for a great character. Like it's one of those, it's a huge character can technically go either way. It's not always clear that they're going to stay on like one side or the other and it like would make sense for them to jump ship somehow or have some sort of ulterior motive that even if it's not like the main villain side a false and they go Rogue somewhere else.
Like I could have easily seen that happen quite a few times. Yeah, for sure. I think something that bothered a lot of About the show. Is that a night in mind this though was that it feels like a to act show. The first Eight Episodes is kind of one story and then something happens at the end of episode eight like Ron that time. And then the last half of the show is a whole different act with kind of a different goal. And I like that about the show.
I am, I think it made sense for that to happen though. Because yes, I do too. I think the big thing that we're trying not to talk about is kind of granted in The Narrative of the show. Like you just kind of think. Yeah, this was going to happen at some point, but I think a lot of people found that when that happened it like lost some of the dramatic tension, if found it elsewhere, that's all they
gained it elsewhere. So, that's how I wasn't an issue for me, but a lot of people An issue with that. Yeah, I think maybe if I didn't, oh, go for it in jibt, all in like three days. Oh, II might have had more of an issue if I was dragging it out and like had like a week in between episodes to process. Mmm. And notice that like difference between like episode a even and nine like that transition already.
But I I feel like watching it all almost like a really long movie, it just made sense how it shifted and I didn't bother me either like like I honestly didn't even notice. Yeah, yeah, like I said romance was wonderful. The score on this show was stunning to me. I'm a huge like movies. Soundtrack score nerd or
whatever. And so when a kdrama is a good score, I'm like I sit up straight like I'm like oh my God, they're actually doing something, it's not just OST like this is orchestral score, you know what I'm saying? Hmm. Did you feel any type of way about the osc or the score? So with that was T. I didn't. I only noticed one song that actually had vocals on it. Like only one of them like normally I am all about the osts. Yeah. And I don't quite a few.
And so I was like, oh, like when that one song Hit, I was like, oh, wait a second, there's been no vocals. But I had to take some notes on, like the score itself. There were some songs that were giving me parts and Caribbean Vibes which took me out a little bit. Okay. So you're getting Hans Zimmer. Yeah. Hospital fives from it. Yeah. And I was like, I don't know where this is. Coming from.
And then every time there was tension, the, the score they would use for that sounds like the Among Us sound like the nearer. Oh, okay, a nice smooth. Look at comparisons and so outside of that, like I thought the songs fit very well, it would just be like a few things that kept taking me out a little bit like, like the among us know. I never I didn't get that but I'm not, I have not really familiar with Among Us. So I'll, I'll see if I can clip it out of like the drama.
I'd like a find it in, like a monkey. Yes. And send it to you and it to me. Yeah. Because it just, it's so much. Oh damn, what's your okay? So what trip me up was in the score they had a love theme and it was stunning gorgeous but what soon as they started playing at the melody was recognizable to me and I was like where the hell if I heard this before? Before I was going nuts, I'm talking like 3 a.m. I'm trying to get Google to recognize what this this melody is.
Playing it on like a keyboard, piano app, on my phone, like trying to like figure it out. I was like, have I heard this in another score before is it a classical piece of music? I finally figured it out. So the Love Theme they used was Franz Schubert's serenade. Oh, is a classical piece of music from the 1800s and I I lost my shit, because, you know, it's been a couple of days of just like Mania trying to figure out where the score is from, where they took it from, where
is it from all this stuff? Finally, I find it. And then it's on YouTube with, like, 61 million views on this like, and this YouTube video super serenade as soon as I start playing, I'm like, like I will start crying. Like I was that's it. That's lumpy a lot of people might recognize the Love Theme though because it's associated. Added with the classic four seasons, kdrama summer scent with seungheon young and Legend song. That's a very old, not very old, but it's a classic kdrama from
back in the day. And I conveniently have never watched Somerset. So I did not have any issues associating. You know, the Schubert song with their love theme in the show. And in fact, I really liked how they kind of added and changed the song. Bit to fit you know this show and how they didn't just stick Schubert song in there. They re-recorded it you know for the show and I was in love with it. I am so happy that I found where the melody is from and you can
look it up yourself. The entire score is available on Spotify, which is how I like I found it and I was like where this is what I the Mania started because I was like, okay I hear the Melody and I can't find it anyway. That's beside the point. Anyway, let me give you some fun facts about the show and then we can give our ratings and then we can dive into spoilers. How does this home?
Sounds good? Okay. So there is a very, very professional, you know, well-researched list on Wikipedia that gives you the highest rated series on cable television for kdramas. And the crowned clowned is sitting at number 24, so it's the 24th. Highest rated series on cable television, which is really good.
Had high ratings throughout, I, you mentioned, Prince and the Pauper. So the whole show Crown cloud is a remake of the 2012 movie, Masquerade, starring evm gun and the queen in that movie is played by Han hyo-joo. From where's on YouTube? W0 leading lady from W. Yeah so I conveniently have watched that movie and it is excellent. I can tell you.
So if you are not fully want to, if you don't want to fully commit to Crown Cloud right now and you just want to get a taste of what the story is. You can always watch this two-hour movie which won best film and director at the 49th. Baek zyoung Awards. It is an excellent movie. Highly recommended, I might have to watch it now. Definitely watch it. It's good. I remember thinking like this is cool. I vividly remember watching the movie and going, this is cool.
This is cool movie. I'm like, well done, almost everyone, like I said before, except for the clown, Hassan is based on a real historical figure of the Choson period And I have in my notes. I said this is a question to myself. Did this win any awards? Question mark question, mark, question, mark. It did, it did win awards at the 55th Back song. Arts Awards, judging, goo was nominated for best actor and actually didn't win. He didn't win. So it's just sad. But anyway, Kim Sung, Kyu, young
witch who played he played? Chief secretary Hawks on. He was also nominated for best supporting actor in which is great. So, they were nominated. They were it's just an honor to be nominated. Just like it's an honor to be nominated for an Oscar. I wish that they had one and I think that's all for my fun facts. What would you rate this drama out of five Soju bottles? Three and a half. I think three and a half. Okay, I am in a rated. 4.5 4. So, 2 bottles out of, I love this show.
I had a great time with it. I think that if you like political shows and you're definitely going to like it. If you're a fan of really good, sweet, humble romances then you're going to like the show and if you like yaojin goo, there is nothing that I can say that will deter you from watching the show you should definitely watch. This is like a Master Class. It's from your jinguk, I swear. Okay, so with that, I think we're going to get into spoilers right after this. You want to come in?
All right Alex run the other side of spoiler. So anything goes where would you like to start about this show and talking all things spoilers? Gosh, um, the endings what's fresh on my mind but I kind of want. Okay, listen about the ending. So let's talk about this. I also had some qualms with this ending which is why I gave the show a 4.5 instead of a 5 Stars, the ending. And I mean ending is in the final 20 or so minutes of the
chest. Not the full hour because a full, there's nothing wrong with the flowers. Just the last like, 20, 15, 20 minutes of the show. It was a bit agonizing because I didn't think they necessarily go that route. I mean to me, it almost felt like what else could they possibly throw at us? It's the say it to me. It was almost the same as if you're cooling down after a workout, you're trying to get your heart rate down, you're stretching your doing all this.
And then, the trainer comes in out of nowhere. And I can't drop and give me Honey, that's what the last 20 minutes of the show felt like, because like, for what? Why did they have to go that far? Yeah. They had me, they cut me. I was so happy with like how it was wrapping up and then it was like, yes, wait, yeah, wait what? Yeah, that's exactly how I felt too. I felt that they were going about it the right way. They had, you know, I will accept a bit of a Time jump.
They had he ruled for what? Maybe like a year or so they kind of made it seem like it was only a short period of time but it could have been longer. It was kind of a big it was about a year because they had talked about At one point, when the gisaeng I can't remember her name, but when she was leaving at the end to go to somewhere else, three years. Yeah. Okay. So that's why I'm thinking it was only a year so he ruled in peace and prosperity for like a year.
Then he leaves the throne to. Another Royal who is kind and shares, his values. Whatever, honestly, solid move. It's all I move. Not have no issues with that. Yeah, he never meant to pass on his bloodline anyway. He As which I found kind of like odd because I'm like whatever you're there already. You know? I'm saying if I had you had your at a theme park and you're like I'm not gonna ride that ride. Hey I hate tensions of writing the best right here which is character though.
Of like he can. Yeah, he fixed everything and he peaced out. He what I liked was that he left the throne the monarchy better than how he found it. Yes, which I found really just in line with his character. Exactly. Like you said the queen, Has dethroned. Which is fine.
She wanted it. I then I had a problem with that because the, yeah, because they made such a big fuss about being dethroned and then like they kind of glossed over it or they're like yeah sure we're going to let that happen to the move on and I'm feeling sitting was solid though because she wasn't Dethrone necessarily for anything that she did wrong.
I think he probably dethroned her because she could no longer have children, which is a very valid reason in back in charge Dynasty to Dethrone a queen because he wanted a valid. Are yeah. I just uh so he dethroned her. I feel like she wanted to because she yeah. She said the reason she was like, okay, Dethrone me first.
Yeah, he was like, wow, he kind of had this look like No And she was like if you leave and you leave me here without being dethroned, I will become the queen Dowager and I will never get to leave the palace. We will never be together. Yeah, like like okay of that little Logic, the logic behind it makes sense. I just feel like They skipped over a lot of drama that would have happened between her being dethroned and him just abdicating. Like, but he was a very easy discernment.
I'll give you that. There's like that all of that they're like, okay, we're going to give their land, I can't do this. He desperately tried to keep her on the throne not have her dear owned for 16 episodes in the last 20 minutes. She's like, okay, go ahead, do it. It was a little bit like okay. Then he abdicates. Yeah which also isn't a big deal. Wasn't a big deal. He wanted they have they gave him a lot of reverence and the big walk out of the palace was great.
I don't know if you noticed when he's walking out and there's other this giant Plaza, expansive, Stone Plaza, that he's walking down, he's walking in the direct center of it. And he makes a point of stepping off this Center path that he's on and on to like the regular, you know, area and what he's doing is stepping off the Kings path. Yes. So I love that.
Yeah, that was really cool symbolic moment for him and I don't think a lot of people would necessarily know that if they hadn't watch a few psychics. But I found that very powerful where he was like, oh, wait, let me stop. And because it was him turning into a regular citizen again, and then he exits, and he's dressed in plain clothes and all the stuff that's great.
On his way to the queen. This is when it gets bad, he attacked he's at Not by a gaggle of soldiers, who wanted to avenge the queen Dowager, and it's a mess like the Royal Guard officer Jang. I think is his name. Yeah, he dies say trying to save him because that was the way he wanted to go as well. He's like, I want to die like, protecting you. I, when I have this honorable death and all that shit, he had it fine. Give it to him. I cried over that, though.
I loved him so much. He was great. He had a great Arc to because You know, initially he's throughout the show, he's very loyal and very, very stoic, which is the blueprint for a bodyguard in the Royal Palace, but he does take orders that he ends up, you know, negating or going against and he tries to kill him at one point like dumps him in the pit out in the middle of nowhere and wild and then he goes and picks him up and he doesn't kill him which is what
the OG crazy. He wanted the doppelganger wanted and ultimately, he goes through, you know speaking to him. Casually not using honorifics to using honorifics with him and accepting him as the king and really showing loyalty fealty to Hassan, which is beautiful. A great Arc for the guy and that's why he follows him out of the palace. And it's like, you are you going to leave me behind? And it was very emotional and
your least. He's like there was just like looking at each other that moment and then these Fucking fools. Come out of them brush and are just like for the queen. They order and you're like, for what war? He, I don't know where so the guard dies. Yeah, we're all heartbroken super obsessed son, gets shot by two arrows in the back. Keels over time. Jump two years later.
I was like, no, they did not do this to us when they did the time Jump, I knew he was going to survive, but it was just like, really we're going to do Even in the time Jump, I thought that they would not do a so dirty that the way they did. Because you see the queen walking around this Village it with a deposed queen or whatever walking around the village, having a good time. The clowns are in town and you see his sister, and his, you know, friend Uncle will however,
whatever you want to call him. Also doing the show in the town. And she's very emotional, gives gives away a couple of rings. She had Jade rings and she's like, oh, oh, you reminded me of my loved one, my beloved. And I thought when she went home, he would be there or something like that. She may be looking at his Compass, the one that she gave him and he would walk in the room like something like that. No, she just kind of, she just cries because he is legitimately
missing in action. They never found his body, and as soon as I said, they never found his body, I was like, this is the dumbest shit that they could have pulled. In the final 20 foot 15 minutes of. I wish they had at least explain better where he was for two years because it was kind of, like, time passed. I was unconscious. It made no sense.
Like what, what is the protocol when you find an injured man in the wild you can't wear, is there a hospital or something that he's been staying at 42 years? Based on the kdramas. I watched you just kind of take them in and deal with it and don't look for like family. I'm not sure who was rendering, care to him for two years for him to just be okay. He made it seem like I was asleep or something for all this time. Then when I woke up, I was too weak to run back to you, which I
thought was funny. I was like, is that implying that he had physical therapy and Dynasty so that he can walk his way back to his girl. It was they try to make it I Guess fall in line with what they had promised each other before, which was he ended up taking the long way round, which was, that was the quote from her. She was like even if you take the long way around, I'll still be here for you. Yeah. But they like to they did not. He did not need to take the long
way round. Okay like these this was done. I went through enough over 16 episodes. There was no need for them to pull this like dirty trick. I thought this was dirty D. Yeah, I wasn't a fan. It's really what it's like to cheer Gap and then he wasn't there. I was like really, really. So she said around and just like Pine for like somebody who she's had assumed was dead, but was never going to be sure because there wasn't a body so they're like, we found Master.
We found officer Jang. Woo, didn't find him. We don't find The King and I was like, you're shitting me. Fuck out of here. Eyeless live, it, I was like, oh my God, they did not. Just do the. So anyway, the ending points taken for the fight, literally, the final 20 minutes or so show. Yeah. We're on the same page, sir. I think that we have to talk about the romance, so now that we've already like, talk through the ending of them because they do have a technically happy
ending. Yes, the end up together. He does like return. I wasn't sure if they were going to, you know what, I feel the same way. I was kind of like this could end badly and it would still be a fair like a fear thing to do because the content of the show The Narrative and I was like this. Has a fair chance of men eating badly for both of them. They just don't end up together but luckily they did finally end
up together. He took the long way around whatever I said before spoiler break that I really like the
purity of the romance. There was just such a warmth and kindness and consideration that he showed toward her and she instantly gravitated towards him because she was living Like a zombie in the palace and she was not getting any warmth or kindness or consideration from the OG King and some moments between them are just a wonderful like he she trips over a stone and tries to play it off but he notices the pebble that he starts kicking them, he starts kicking all the rocks and
Pebbles out from the path because he's walking out of her. I'll I was like, this is Is goals like this is I can see that he was written by a woman. You know what I'm saying? Hmm. I'm trying to, I have a really funny note. I don't have to there. He ends up. Oh, go ahead. Did you find it? There's in um, in one of the episodes when they're hanging out in the library and he's just staring at her. Oh, and it's my nose literally. Just I want a boyfriend that looks at me the way he's looking
at her right now. That her so preciously and Tenderly and he ends up treasuring, her life above his own because he ends up taking a bullet for her so to speak. Yeah, he just reflexively Shield her from the arrows because the queen Dowager again, just trying to murder them. It's ultimately a relationship that gets built on trust and equity which I found really refreshing in a saga of drama because usually there is some sort of inequality between Between the male and female leads.
And in this case even though he is playing royalty, there's so much Equity between them like she helps him read his reports written in Chinese characters. I'm just like this is a key to see there are no barriers between them as as there would be, there should be between them if he were a true Royal and she ends up helping with his kingly duties. Like that's very The, for the queen to be, so involved like that, and just be hanging out in the Kings Library.
Things like that are just not usually done in the sagas. So it was very special, I think for both of them to not only get to know each other, but like get to know each other on a soul level which was really refreshing. They have start over halfway through the show. Basically. Yes. She's like, what is your name? Like she had no idea which I feel terrible about. Yeah. Yeah, I think that's where I would mentioned earlier.
I felt really bad for her. I think it was everything leading up to, like that point where I was like, this isn't great especially when the, the OG can comes back. Oh yeah, so let's talk about that. So they have all these Great Moments between them because he's the replacement and actually a nice hazelnut thing where he's that, he's the couldn't Queen could make her wish at the bridge and so you gave her some hazelnuts. He collected. What should who has hazelnuts in there? It's leave.
It was great, like, great moment of levity and says, oh, there's a legend that if you crunch on them, you'll start all the goblin that lives under the bridge, or in your house, who would then Grant your wish. So that comes into play in episode 20 with the terrible ending that we don't really
like. But anyway, so the hazelnuts are great, she holds onto it. It's like a token for her and, you know, everyone's gravitating toward Hassan everyone's falling in love with Hassan, which we can talk about later, you see, I'm to be quite annoyed by that, you know, the real King comes back like an episode 7. He's mad as hell.
Uh, nearly slices everyone up, you know, Hassan gets dumped into tiger pit up in the mountains to die and the real king is most upset by how the queen seems enamored by him how her whole demeanor and her health has even improved by Being near the clown and he fought. He's like most he's thinking back to interacting with the queen and queens, like smiling lovingly at him. Never seen that before. And he moves up the consummation date before the consummation date.
He had already written up his decree to Dethrone her and behead her before. Even attending the consummation, how fucking vial is that? The hall they I was just like, I hope something happens. To stop this conservation because I was like, I'm going to have a major problem with the show that goes through. I was like, yes, sucks. If he was like nice to her, for like, five minutes, their whole relationship would be different like this.
Let's talk about this because I think that I have a different view of the OG King and his relationship with the queen because she had some good memories with him before he took the throne, right? She was saying oh, he held my hand. Never in comforted me when things were kind of crazy in the whole sphere sphere that they're in and, you know, he told promise me that, you know, we would stick together. We'd stay together and it just kind of like generally nice stuff.
We never see a full-on flashback of him being wonderful to her but she does. So it does seem like there's enough there from when they were crowned Prince and Crown Princess to carry her into this really crazy. Loveless marriage, when he's King. So I feel really bad for her because not only is she stuck in a Loveless marriage but he seems to not care for her anymore.
The way that he used to. And there's some things that made me think maybe he still does care for her because early on, they show him going to her chamber or whatever in a fit of rage but he's there and he tries to like kiss her and she turns away Yeah and instead you think that a man who's having hallucinations acting crazy is going through crazy episodes of mania and rage. What? Just just rape her, you know what I'm saying? Like what what does he have to lose?
There's nothing stopping him and he doesn't go so far as that he just kind of like tells her people think that It's me that doesn't want you, who would think that it's the other way around. Mmm. And I found that really poignant. Like, you know, yeah, he's okay with these rumors about her because who has the power in that relationship, it's really her the whole time. So no I agree that there's some glimmers that he does care for her right.
Like I'll say I he's not completely at fault either because there's a lot of like the the paranoia and in the drugs and all that going on that causes him to be like that. Then there's like how long did it take for him to like, how long was he gone to detox me? Still came in as just like the most vile person I've ever seen. Probably lonely. Because I was confused too. I have No experience now, what not only were drugs but with opium in particular, but it
seemed like he was smoking. Opium completely addicted to Opium plus they were throwing on some incense that was giving him hallucinations. So who know where the hell they got that, like, from whatever mushroom, they derive that incense from. But I felt extremely confused when again, he's up in the mountains, completely detox removed from the The drugs and he's still messed up.
Yeah. I like I get the, like, the anger and stuff because I think at that point, it's kind of become just as personality to just always be angry. But like the, everything else that came with it where I was like the paranoia, some of that shit that used up but like he literally just don't trust anybody. Besides the one, dude. You shouldn't trust. The left State. Chancellor. Whatever is nice to lipstick chance late. Like guys, always a problem, never trust that guy.
Look, if you are watching a saga, And the left State. Chancellor is a good guy, you're not watching a saga. Look like that's not. That's, that's always the guy, you gotta watch out for. Yeah, but yeah. And then it's like he came in and like the guns blazing mad that they did anything while he was gone. It was like what what what, what else?
Right right, yeah. So, it was a lot of a little bit of questioning with his condition and how they've framed it because it seemed like once he was got off the drugs, He should be okay, but he wasn't no, not a still really paranoid still having hallucinations still seeing his dead little brother, like craziness. Speaking of the little brother that was all the way in episode 1.
And I was pretty much heartbroken from episode 1 by this, this whole sequence that they had the Old King does Cameo by Jang. Hyuk, who's the old King complex? Daddy issues here, and I wasn't
quite sure. or who everybody was because he had this queen who becomes obviously upon his death, the queen Dowager, she's a major player throughout the rest of the Moon, the movie, the rest of the show, and you had this half-brother and I thought originally that the king with the OG King were just keep calling him the OG King. But the OG King.
I thought he was a legitimate Heir from the previous Queen, not the current Queen who becomes the queen Dowager, but that wasn't the case he was from similar concubine. Or oh, I didn't get that at all. Yeah, so I have to figure it out and look up the history. So he was not technically a legitimate heir. Because he came from some other
concubine. But once the queen who was a Barren died, his dad married, the queen Dowager in the show who was significantly younger and produced children for him. So that's why he was threatened by that little half-brother at the beginning of the show because everyone considered him a legitimate Heir. And of course, You know, you have to think of the political aspect of it. It's a child, so you can do whatever you want. Like raise the child Harvey, white rule in the child's dead.
So everybody who wanted something was gunning for the half-brother to be enthroned and that just didn't happen. No. Yeah, sad. That upset me. That upset me a lot did upset me when He makes his dad beg to spare the sun like the
half-brother. And you see this complex like emotions running across the space because you see when he's telling his Bat his dad that's not how you ask for a favor on his deathbed and the dad like gets up and it's like I can't believe and it starts like, you know, giving a half-ass a begging. That was the King dies. He's sad. So there was anger before and then once the king finally dies, he's upset and visibly, you know, shaken by the King's death.
So they're very complex daddy issues happening here which we never quite get into. We just don't, there's not enough time for it. I guess and there's a massive house cleaning upheaval Chief, counselor declares people Traders, whatever the little brothers arrested exiled. And then finally, poisoned. I just so emotional and sad because he's so young. That little brother is a child completely innocent. He loves his brother, he loves his brother. That's the thing.
It's like he loves the OG King, like with unconditionally, there's nothing. He doesn't know what's going on. And you just feel so much for the kid cuz he's getting dragged away from his mom. He doesn't know why they're locking up in jail. Why? Doesn't know. And when he shows up when the oig king finally shows up, he runs that the kid runs out and he's like what took you so long like but just very pitiful. Yeah. And that hurt it her and it was
unclear as well. If the OG King believed, the lies that they told about the little kid or he just accepted them because he wanted to kill his own brother out of hate or spite. I don't know. Yeah, it's very Clear, there's a lot that happened in that first episode, a lot of murder and that was like, I don't know who any of these people are. I'm not sure who I'm supposed to care about and I was like, and all I see it's just this one
dude killing everybody. Yeah, my little, my only note for the first episode is literally the king and clown or both annoying. Oh, I didn't go so far as to say that if I have to hear, are you not afraid of the heavens one? More time. I think I'll just flip a table because they said that's so much throughout the show and especially in the first episode because that was when a lot of
Carnage and stuff was happening. But I do like how in the first episode they introduced, of course, Hassan and they have this big juxtaposition between the two of them, where Hassan is just, so good-natured and kind, and fun, and charismatic. And, of course, episode ends with the meeting of the Angers and you have this great sequence of the king, just like get it OG King getting up and like going to stand, close to him with the light. I like the lamp in his face.
They're both shocked. And they the way that y'all jingu is standing between the two of them, like it's vastly different. It is a very physical performance that I feel he's putting on and the demeanor everything about like the micro You know, facial changes that he's making between the two of them.
It is a completely different character that he's putting on between the OG King and Hassan. And I love how the OG King is like, repeat after me like say this you fool, can't you play your role properly and he ends up saying the same exact line is the king. He wants him to pretend to be him for a second and he says the lie like you fool, can't you play a role properly and even It is the same because it's your jingu like saying the same line. It is still.
A different performance. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, no. That was, even though I didn't necessarily like, either characters seojun, go just did such an amazing job of establishing that they are different people and there's a, there's a lot of movies, like, you mentioned, like, The Parent Trap earlier, like where it's very clearly. The same person just just they're playing the same person twice more or less, right? But no, he does such a good job of.
It doesn't like you could have told me that you didn't go has like a twin and they were just both there and like I'd have been like that makes. Right. Okay. If I didn't know anything, I'd be like know. That makes a lot of people. A lot of people thought Lindsay Lohan, had a twin Yeah, it's the same kind of deal here. I feel like he just knocked it out of the park. He did.
It was like, even just watching like the the two characters, like walk like the king had like the Swagger all the time, it was really funny. I was like I wouldn't expect him to and like because he's a king but men like because of his personality kind of makes sense. He has more of like a Swagger when he walks whereas Hassan was actually more like up, right? And proper and I think it's because he's more unsure of
himself most of the time. So he's like I have to like Be this and I'm like if you had like five seconds to watch the king walk around like no. Yeah but yeah, it was absolutely riveting to see the two vastly different performances and I think that people don't talk about this a lot. Like I don't hear people talking about guilty and go in the clowns and the crown clown. No, I remember. It was really popular when it was airing and then like no one.
Nothing. Yeah. Like where's the give the man his due? He's amazing. I wonder though if that's because like early. So, this is 2019 right early. Yeah. Early. 2019 was because Hotel De Luna came out immediately after and Absolute Boyfriend. I think was airing at the same time. So it was like so much back to Act like everyone jumped from the crown clown to like hotel de luna. I think so that might because he did a really good job in that too, in my opinion. I so I dropped hotel de luna,
all, really? I it's one of my favorites. Like, I actually scary watching it before before. So it's, this is a total tangent, but I stopped watching hotel de luna because they were trying to make. I you like this really fabulous villain, And I was like, I don't see I you as a Villain Like period, she's not threatening in any manner. So she's so she's not a villain in the show. No, I understand. I get that from the promo and everything and the tiny Clips
I've seen on social media. She's not the villain but she is kind of an antihero kind of dude and like it just wasn't working for me. I was like, she's a fairy, you know. No saying, knowing I, you know that that makes sense. I think going in being like, I have no, like, I went in because Him not her. I was like, I'm gonna watch this one because it's fantasy too because, you know, Jin goo. So yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I feel you. And it's a well like drama. I'm just um, one of those people.
Anyway. Um, getting back to the ground clown. They kill off this poor little Palace. Maid and like episode two brutal, she get poisoned and I like how the queen is the only person who can be Near him. And she gently cleans his hands off because he still has all this blood on his hands and she's got such a calming effect on, not just him but on the
audience, I feel. Because as soon as she enters the frame I'm like I'm just so calm and relaxed right now, like she's just very ethereal in that way. Something that was not ethereal at all. Was the heartbreaking episodes, like, 435 haasan's little sister gets raped. Oh my gosh, I the left State councillor, son. And I was just devastated. I was devastated. Like she goes, mute and everything from the trauma. It's just so bad. I am glad he got Punished a lot for that.
I don't. So you were okay with it. We're not. Okay, but you felt like the punishment fit the crime. No. But at least something happened. Well, he made a fun distinction, though, not long after that because he gets scared and leaves the palace and it comes back after. You know he finds out what happened to the sister and everything and he's just full of Rajon wants to avenge her, his sister like rightfully so and he says I don't want to kill him, I don't just want to kill that dude.
Like I want him to suffer and be punished for the crime that he committed not just for me to kill him for some of the thing or punish him for some other misdeed and I found that really interesting like it's almost delayed satisfaction. Yes and he waited What I'm saying? You waited all that time to have this opportunity on meant to punish him and brand him for being a rapist. And he not only did that but he established a new precedent. He was like, I'm going to change the law.
How about that? And I was like damn like that is like King King material right there. Yeah, it was definitely a boss. Move of. We're just going to rewrite the law which the law should have been rewrote, where the bottom tier and the hierarchy, there doesn't. Matter what happens to them, like there's punishment for everything except them. Like are you kidding, didn't you just want to like, shoot the guy when the kid goes He standing in front of the King, right?
He just got accused of rape and he did it. He's not denying that he did it, but he's like, it doesn't matter. I'm it doesn't matter because she's a low-class of kid, like, low-class girl, I was just matter. So, angry I was like, oh my God, I just want to throw hands at that point, right? And then they're still like human punish you anyway. I feel like he doesn't think of her as you know, and the King Hassan is saying like, oh, I'm gonna do all this and he's like,
you can't your highest. You can't do that. Like, who the hell do you think you are? Like, telling me what I can and cannot do. Like, it was just mistake after mistake, after mistake with that kid. You taught. Let's talk about like how the side characters and everyone around. Hassan fell in love with him because you said earlier that, you didn't like that. So talk to me about that. Like, what do you, what do you
think in there? I just I I don't know what it is about Hassan, this is really rubs me the wrong way, where I'm like, what honestly, I feel like if I was like in his presence to like in that I'd have been like the same of know this kids great like whatever. But the same time I'm like, everybody's like, oh we're gonna pretend you're the king for a while and we're gonna just fall in line and you're great and charming, and it's not like he's an actor.
Of course, he's Charming. Like like, he's a clown. That's that's it sound like I hope, I don't know. I have trust issues. I guess. So I would have been like, I don't know. I want to trust this kid. And then like he had his moments where he was hot-headed to and he would go do really stupid stuff that they don't have to go get fixed or a lot of people were going to die that were trying to help him. It's like I also feel like he was very impulsive.
Yes, decisive in ways that the people around him in the chief secretary more not and sometimes he it definitely worked outside. Yeah. Push things forward in a positive way and made good decisions, while he was on the throne. And what was cool was.
Even though he had the chief secretary like, breathing down his neck, telling him what to say, telling him, you know how to comport himself and, you know, memorize this and you can't read and all this stuff as soon as he walks in, and he's sitting on the throne, whatever he says goes. Yep. So he can go Rogue and he does
pretty heated of the time. And it was really entertaining to see as an audience member, but it was really satisfying to see also as an audience member because you have Tagging is here with an. In fact he's an infallible protagonist and everyone falls in love with him. Not just because he's so young Jin, goo and handsome and Charming. Um, they are moved by him and his impeccable moral compass by his righteousness and his caring
attitude towards the people. Because he comes from the people, he is of that lower class and so he is making giant changes in the government, that is benefiting. Being not just the ruling class. It's benefiting everybody and it's throwing everybody in a tizzy. Yeah, I like the the side where it's the stuff that like helps the more common people like definitely like respect, but it'd be like the other things were.
He just go have like a ranting like have a fit with like the queen Dowager because she likes lighted the queen or something. I was like, okay, I get it but I'm like I'll give you the right move dude. You that? Yes, he's kind of going head-to-head with the queen Dowager and there's a lot of tete-a-tete. It's between them where you're just like you don't really have the upper hand here. Yeah. So why are you dig yourself a deeper hole?
Your other people are going to have to clean it up or you're gonna get somebody killed that. You're trying to not get killed, I don't understand where you're coming from. There is a long laundry list of achievements that Hassan did throughout the show and I have them here. So here let me know, let me know if I'm missing any so here go he saves the Queen's father from an unjust execution.
So instead he exiled Him he saves the queen from analyzing herself because at one point she like took a dagger, she was going to stab herself because the whole thing he saves her, he recruits the lowborn Huggle, who's like the mathematician like I love Rehan character. He also has like crush on Hassan by the end of it was adorable, loved it on that vein.
He literally steps all over the aristocratic some kumquats Scholars for A horse whole girls promotion because they weren't even letting him in the palace, like, makes no sense but he holds special stating exams were anybody? No matter their station. Could sit for the tax reform thing. We're only land owners will have to pay taxes, refuses to send tens of thousands of soldiers to Ming for their war. And he has these lines that are really wonderful. He's like as a father of this
nation, how could I send? They're my sons to their death. That also like he takes ownership of the people and he really advocates for them. And at that point he tears all the ministers to personally go to war for me.
If it's so important to them like why don't you just pick up and go and I'm like it's great he refuses to depose the queen because she has a little hissy after finding out that he's not the king and like just Leaves the palace to go visit her dad and Exile. And that was frustrating because it was not on his end, but on hers. Because, like, I get why she left and then, like, you gotta, like, save her basically, but he couldn't say why he wasn't mad at her. It was like, like, yeah,
situationally aggravating true. He's like, he's not like, well, I'm not really who I said I was. So, she got mad and just like, jump shit. No, he can't say that. What he does is he blackmails the queen? Dowager's, so that she could return. No consequences, great idea. He refused to Simply kill the left State Chancellor's sun, which we talked about before he waits until he can be punished for the crime that he committed and sets a new precedent. All this great stuff.
Then he at in the final, couple of vessels crushes, the coup from the giant villain team-up that I didn't because I was Queen, Dowager joins hands with the left state councillor. And one of the princes Prince, Jim peeing, or whatever was also in the mix and like, had develops the army of, like, 3,000 soldiers. It's like nuts. So, all these three people join hands and were trying to Dethrone him. That was so messy too, because they were all like plotting against each other.
The same time. Nobody was like on their side. Like nobody was truly. Loyal to the other person. So there was a lot of like in squabbles between them and stuff which is fun like fun to watch. There's so much stuff, good stuff that he did and he also stopped the queen from analyzing herself a second time. This. Oh my God. That's right. The second time. And then he saves her. Like I said before, you took to two arrows in the back or something, one are on the back for her.
Yeah, this is great. I really liked speaking of the queen in episodes 6 to 7 or so they go. A date out in the town. That was so cute. Is fucking wonderful. So they eat like a stew with tripe and pig's heart and it's kind of like low, not low quality cuts of meat, but it's just like common, a commoners meal and it's so sweet. How she eats it like a champ.
He's like, what is this? And then he tells her what it is. She kind of makes a face and then she just he's like, well we don't have to eat her if you don't want to, she's just like already swallowing asleep. Great. And then she'd noticed that this, at this point, she's like noticing different things about him. And she's like, it seems like you've eaten this before and he's like, no, no, no. I have I haven't done anything yet.
They go to buy the compass later and he haggles with the sales guy and she's like, it seems like you've done this a hundred times before it. He's like, I've never done that before. It's great. I really liked when he asked her when they were eating and he asked her, the question of like, which house would they want to stay? And she's like this one and he's like, that's the smallest one here. She's like, why exactly? Like so?
I, we don't have to do anything besides turn our heads to see each other and I was like, oh, I want this kind of love. This is why I'm single. This is what a standard, such a good green flag, man, and such a wonderful well-spoken lady because she's just like, want that house over there small house while you want it. We just have to turn our heads to look at each other and it's so sad because in the X of the palace. They have entirely separate wings, that are far from one another.
And so she's speaking from experience, she would rather be close to him and she would rather have this long commute home to be with him for longer periods. Of time is just like, uh, beautiful beautiful words and I adore the queen and that date that they had was just beautiful. I think in that episode though, he gets tossed in the pit, I think it's the tiger pit comes back. Can comes back. He gets tossed. In the tiger pit. Did you get like Dark Knight Rises Vibes or was that just me?
Is it just me? It's been a while because he knows, okay, okay, so Dark Knight Rises, they throw Batman in a pit. Basically, I don't remember that at all. And he has to cut, not adapt it, but it's like almost looks like a giant well, and it's full of, you know, a bunch of other prisoners. And the only way to get out is to climb out and that's why I'm saying that this seeing kind of felt like Dark Knight Rises, because he climbs out of this It and bit by bit.
He's almost out. There's a flashback of him, getting stabbed by the chief secretary and the chief secretary going, like, clown. Hassan is dead. You are now the king, like furniture, mattock, and just as he's about to, essentially, get out and be reborn. These wolves descend and pushing back down into the pit and I felt like, oh, this is like a metaphor. This is my thinking cap, right? This is like a metaphor for like the beasts of the political thing.
But he's trying to overcome and they keep like tearing him down and all this stuff. Yeah. I quite like that seen and felt very important felt so bad. When he fell back down after like the wolves or whatever, showed up, I was just like, oh oh, oh he's in so much pain already. Yeah, no. Yeah. But the king comes back and that episode is crap because he tries to undo everything that Hassan
did even if it was good. Out of spite or jealousy or so frustrating reassert himself into the mix and he imprisons the kissing lady and the Rain Man guy. All song, whatever his name is and the chief secretary has no choice but to come back and kneel before him and what the king says is. So just diabolical, he says, do not turn your back against me ever again. Should you be Tre me, I will crush all of your loved ones to death and see everything, your everything in your life.
Everything you've worked for in your life, come to nothingness. And I was like, he said it with a smile on his face and I was like, Damn yeah, that is pretty bad, pretty Sinister. Yeah, he's just not a not a good guy all around let's put it. Let's finish talking about him because in the very next episode episode 8, the chief secretary kills him honestly, as much as I didn't like him that like death scene got to me.
I cry. I was like, it is the emotion that the Betrayal, like, the whole, like death, like speech. Oh, like him, like fighting it. And I Like talking about how betrayed he feels and I'm like, yeah my heart. Why do I feel bad for you? Yeah yeah you feel satisfaction that he's dying because he's just gone gone, completely mad and you feel so much pity at the same time because his life could
have been different. I was just saying like earlier like he seemed to have been gentle and somewhat carrying toward the queen. Early in their marriage. And he also did want to enact the tax, the landowners law initially. And that just goes to show that he was so twisted and different. By the end, there was just no saving him and the scene is so devastatingly beautiful.
The way it's shot like throughout the show is just beautiful cinematography but this scene what them silhouetted against the beach and the waves and the overhead shots of them like from Drone or helicopter or something? Golden Light is just the right Vibe. It's just heartbreaking and that he died the same way that he killed. His little brother in episode 1. It's just so, so sad and chief secretary is pulling through an all-time performance here because it's almost as if the
king had asked to be killed. Mmm. And he's doing it against his better judgment, right? He's doing it because he wanted to die and that's not the case at all. Chief secretary like took it upon himself to just kill the king halfway through the show and it's so sad and mournful, and especially when the OG King says I wish you were my father as he's like trying to fight it and talking about like all this. It just emotional. Yeah. You could tell they were at one
point really close. So yes, yeah, he's I don't want to do it but he knows that he has to do it. It's all these things put together. Just make it very important point in seen on a production side. Did you catch what they did with the score there? What did they do with the score of the mining? Oh my God. Okay, so so as he like die. So the way every episode was ending at least on Netflix was like, the seemed like the
episode would. And, and then they would have liked the the few like snapshots of like different parts of the like thing, and they would have some score playing. It would be different for most episodes. I think to kind of fit the vibe. There was no music playing at the end of that. So as he dies, it's all you hear is the beach waves. And then when they start doing the photos from earlier in the episode, it's just the beach
waves. I just I really I'm just really oh my God, as far as I remember, that was the only episode. They didn't have some sort of score playing with the photos. It's it's done, right? You know what I'm saying? Like it was just really well. Yeah, it was done really well
really well damn. Damn. Okay. Now going back to Hassan episode 10 and 9 there's like a lot of love vowels exchanged between the queen and Hassan. And in episode 10 he does like the scavenger hunt for him because for her because he leaves all these notes in the library and I of course you have the Like I miss you, even when I'm looking at you, I miss you line. They meet at the highest place in the palace and they kiss and it's so sweet and she tells him that she wants to have his child.
Listen. So it's she tells him that she's ready to have his child or whatever because she had been of course, denying him the entire time. She doesn't know yet that it's Hassan the clown it ends up that the queen dowager. has been poisoning the queen this whole time for like a few months and she's now infertile Heartbroken for her because that is like such a core part of what she's obligated to do as Queen. But like it's part of any of ya.
Any other king would have had to Dethrone her, pretty much family to go have it and he's like, no, it's like that's like this matter to me. It's fine. Yeah. Yeah. And in fact, he goes out of his way to keep his secret so that the court doesn't demand that she be dethroned because she
can't have any kids. I found this devastating Being in the best way possible, if you get my drift because it was proper drama and properly teased throughout the show so that when it came upon us, we weren't like, oh my God, this came out of nowhere. They're just pulling stuff out of their hats. No, no it was, this was earned and I really appreciated that not only did he stick by her but he, it wasn't like a factor for him. Like he it didn't affect his love for her at all.
It's just It makes me feel better and their communication was excellent like throughout the rest of the the show. And you know, she is dealing with not just a loss but it's a loss for, you know, her identity. And the reason why she's giving even in the palace and I love how he just supports her unconditionally he's like, oh my god, of course he's upset. Of course he wants to kill everybody involved. Of course he goes and fights
with the queen dowager. Right after he finds out and it's all, you know, yes, but it's never directed at her. Yes. You know, it's never know, victim blaming or what have you. There's nothing of that and it just deepens their bond, really? Yeah, I think that's definitely a turning point because she tried to keep it secret from him
too, and that's fine. Like her like made was like, no, I'm gonna spill it be. That's my favorite thing is, when he comes up to the baby's like tell me what the hell's going on here? Why is the queen said? She just drops she goes. By right underneath these look, I'm so sorry but I'm sorry, I just have to be punished or whatever the languages and there's like, not a ton the Queen's, like had the secret for what? Two hours. Yeah. What's know, yeah, I liked it a lot.
I liked it. She finds his writing The Secret, Gets Out, because she finds the scraps of paper that he's been practicing the Chinese calligraphy on and it's just that's when she leaves the palace. She had A really tough reaction to him. She's like, who the hell are? You don't touch me. How dare you? And she has this really visceral reaction II. Don't blame her. But it's such a hard point because I'm like, I'd been like, okay, I don't know who this guy is, but he's clearly better than
what I had. Yeah, because she starts like trying to piece it together. Like, when were they switched? Yeah. And she does realize when the real king king. Came back and they had those really bad like consummation night that never happened and she's like, oh, that wasn't him, you know, she's realizing when. Yeah I got I was in. I feel like I personally probably would have like, maybe not in the best judgment just been. Like, no, I'm fine with this.
Nearly getting raped guy, who actually treats me.
Nice, you know? Like, that's the thing is, like, she is. And they were saying, the, the chief secretary was saying that she's gonna dump you as soon as she finds out who you are, because she is so upright and thermal and she, she does end up against her tiny against her guilty conscience, and she ends up doing like three days of mourning for the, the OG King because Of course, she doesn't even like this, like terrible to her and then she's like fully
onboard. She's like, okay, you're you're the king, okay? I think it fits her character while it just putting myself in the position. I definitely would like no, this is fine. Yeah, like I did then on board way sooner. I would not have tried to throw myself off a cliff. No. Damn, it was something about her trying to run alive herself after that. That was just like oh girl don't like come on. He's a guy Under full team. Yeah.
Yeah, he was just lovely to you. Just accept the man and move on the villain left State councillor catches Hassan in the lie with the dagger around episode 12 13 and originally, the left state councillor was like, oh yeah, you had, you had this dagger given to you by the Ming and all that stuff. Complete lap lie fabrication because it was gift from the previous King to commemorate him, becoming the Crown Prince
whatever I loved. That's when he threw the two coins at the yes let's say counselor and was like I am that dog that cost two coins or whatever and reveals who's his true identity to him and his full of like, Vigor and confidence and like Swagger and you're just like, yeah, like damn get it. I think I was so concerned with what was going to happen next. I was I really like super like into the moment even though it was a really cool moment.
But I was like, okay, you got a problem, why are you so chill about it? It to where you can be like, like this because well, I think he was just like, well, The Jig Is up like when we gonna do? Yeah, let me come into it, like, with a little bit of a Swagger and just own it, you know, own up to it. I just, it would have put me straight to panic. I'd have been like, oh no, I would have been crying. Like, I'm not a person that if someone yells at me, or start screaming at me for whatever
reason. I just start crying, babe. You caught me in a lie. This is the second crying right there. Don't tell me the real king tried to so curious. You were forced to do this. Yeah, I don't think I would have taken out the two coins from them at the man who has my secret. Anyway, what was brutal as well? Was that they killed her, dad, the Queen's Dad after he was finally exonerated so close to like a real reunions and it's taken away.
Oh my god. Um, But after that she Grieves, it's terrible but he tip but Hassan takes her to the beach and like episode 14. And I adore this conversation that they have not just the cinematography, in the way, it's just gorgeous, right? She says, I will engrave this scenery on my heart so that I may come back to it. Even after we return to the palace. And he says, when spring comes, let's go see the flowers and summer. We will stand in the rain
together and in the fall. How about we go Gathering? And he's making plans, like, that's a year's time, right? To get back to the winter weather. Now at the beach and she says is much. She's like, it seems like we're gonna be together for a while, and it's just beautiful beautiful lines, very romantic
and it soothes her, you know. And it also kind of hints at the ending right where they leave the palace because in all those scenarios of them standing in the rain together, seeing the Hours Gathering chestnuts, there's not really an implication that there in the palace, when they do that, they are free and outside of the restrictions of the palace. And so I think that was a hint at the ending, which is there free of the palace and all of the politicking that we had seen
throughout the entire show. So I really like that, that's just so nice. I one of the top at things top scenes in the show. Chief secretary throws it in the
queen. Dowager has faced a he killed her son in very classic like put salt in an open wound to get a confession out of somebody that details of how her poor innocent son died and she just loses it. And what's sad to me is that the root, the OG King was so blinded by paranoia, that he ordered the killing of this innocent kid, but Hassan is the one that has to pay the consequences for what his doppelganger did and I find
that really interesting. I don't know if there's anything else you want to add to that because I feel like that's kind of like I don't know. There's something about that. That makes. Yeah no I mean I guess I hadn't really thought about that too much but yeah like when it came to the queen Dowager really her Vendetta was against the OG queen king. So everything she did was because of that. And how. Yeah, he was at the legitimate heir to the throne and and like
that was her whole thing. So, Honestly her hatred towards his son wasn't really wanted. It was weird just because he was the wrong place wrong time. Hi. Yeah, she and I like we were saying before how certain characters had Shades of Grey. I feel like she has Shades of Gray because she has every right to be upset and angry that her son was killed like nevermind installing him on the throne. He was straight up mert. Yeah.
And for no reason, obviously he had no Nothing no traitorous thoughts or anything coming from like the 10 year old or whatever. So I found that really intriguing to think that she had reason she was.
Well, within reason to try and like overthrow Hassan even if he was the was the kind of like wasn't even the real King, it's just like you're representing pain to me, you've wronged me the where you are and the chief secretary found this really Important as well where he finally swears fealty to Hassan and that he reveals that he held back, trusting him for fear that the throne would corrupt him just like the OG King.
But after everything Hassan remains righteous and empathetic and despite the chief secretary revealing that he unilaterally killed the OG King Hassan is like. Takes the blame. He's like, this is my fault too, for because I wanted to be king and it obviously means that one of us had to go. And it's when he says that you just see it like the gears turning in the chief secretary's head, and he just kneels down, he does. And then him, and then Haase, first time, Austin kneels down
and that whole scene. Oh my gosh. When Hassan kneels down I'm just like this is too perfect. Like it's, it was such a moving moment of like mutual respect for each other. And and finally coming to a real understanding and Trust on both sides because there was a trust on either side. Yeah that was a I loved it. I really liked the secretary, I'm not gonna lie. It was like I didn't fully understand everything with him because I was like the, the one guy that died.
I'd before the show started that they kept mentioning and then there was like that whole like group of people that they kept meeting out in the woods and like yeah he was an extremist leader we're inside. Yeah. Yeah, yeah and they didn't I feel like they didn't do as good of a job kind of like dealing with that whole subplot. Right? Because he was basically
undercover. Yeah. In the government still trying to do his best, which get the agenda, but she was doing, but it was like they Really explain, like, who these other people are. Like, obviously like some sort of extremist but like, outside of that I was like there's some guy who died here's book, like I don't know. Like are you just common people
or like exiled or like I did. That was one of my issues with the show I will say is like that whole like story arc just kind of came and went as needed without excite agree. Anything I agree. Yeah they did a bad job explaining like why he was meeting these people in the bamboo forest and Why they were mad at him? I guess, he liked because of his part in the killing of their
leader. Yeah. And then, he stayed basically in power in the government while everyone else had to like, deal with it and like become peasants and try and make ends meet some other way and live their lives similar way. You know, they held it against him. Yeah. Like it sounded like a pretty valid what they did. But no. Yeah, but it was like, I wish I had some kind of like, Connection to it. Or I could care about these random people because it would
make more sense. Why he's like, kneeling on the ground trying to ask for forgiveness. Okay. And I was like we can we can skip the sea. Yeah I mean it just wasn't written quite well. I think we're all ready towards the end game episodes though, in our, in our talk and I'm not sure if there's anything else you wanted to say about it. Other than this part was satisfying to me, I had no issues with Now the whole coup and then trying to work it out.
How is Hassan going to strategize his way out of this? Without the chief secretary by his side, he's rising to the occasion. He's playing things out. They never find the treacherous letter and it gets thrown in their faces at the assembly. All that stuff. I found that fine perfectly a. Yeah, I think it's okay. I think from not understanding kind of that time period in like Korea too much of like oh sudden they keep meeting and they keep telling each other what they're going to do.
I was like why why are you telling people what you're gonna do? Like why does it take so long to Dethrone the queen Dowager? Like there they even they in the end gate of episodes they were like you're not technically dethroned yet so you could just take the throne and she was like you're right there was some of that where I was like okay how long have they been talking about the throne in her? They had ample time to just send her away. She was banished to The West Wing.
Like I don't understand there was a little bit of like questions there that were lingering. I think the last thing that I have in my notes had to do with Hassan having a one-on-one with the queen Dowager and it's a culmination for me all his troubles with his confidence or feeling inadequate or out of his depth in the palace are all gone here. He's literally standing toe-to-toe with her and there are there's no Rage or explosive outbursts to make him seem lesser than her, they're on
equal. Playing fields and she's talking all this shit about social status and Royal Blood. And he's countering her with a full open heart and integrity, talking about Behavior. How can you act this way? And at one point, he says, like blood is all you have. And he wins like he wins there, talk their argument or whatever. In this tete-a-tete they have. And I was like, this is strong. That kingly shit that he's doing here.
Then he just walks away. He's like by like no he's not really worried that she called him there to kill him like he's just there to buy time and show face and it's wonderful. I really like that. Yeah that was definitely a good team but yeah. Overall like the last like ending like the last few episodes with like the coup and everything it was like it was mostly well done. I would say Yeah, yeah, I would agree.
Okay. And then we already talked about the last 20 minutes, so we don't have to do that. Um, is there any other God, any other notes that you have about the crown clown? No, I think that was those everything I just, I had like, these are just random like comments or really funny like when um, when the secretary stabs how soon to. So it's a mimic the scar from a bro right bro, but it was so funny when it And and has to go. So you're telling me not to run away or die and then why'd you
stab me? And I was like, that's such a mood and then like my next note goes. Oh, there is a reason right? Well, I'm confused about, I guess. Why did he March him up this Giant mountain only to like drag him nearly to the edge of the cliff, and then stabbed him directly in the chest and give this super dramatic line. Like the Clown house on this bed, like the q word. Oh the king and for what like you could have just done this somewhere else.
Like I don't know. It was it's for just a quick Harry. Yeah. It's for the nice. Yes, for the G. You know, just to show not for any particular reason to be like drag him up and he was like Breathing heavily heavily breathing, he had sweat all over him, like it was a trek to get up there, you know what I'm saying?
I think it was a bit of symbolism, really of like, I think is where it comes from of, like, like the disclosure of like your real life and like, starting a new life, we're gonna more or less toss the old life off the off the cliff here. I think that was the point of that. If we're gonna do this here and also there's so many eyes in the walls of the palace that I feel like Kim just stop. And then they're like, it's just asking somebody to walk in right
at the wrong moment. Yeah, here's my thing too. Is that they're often like Having important conversations between one another revealing conversations between one another. And I'm like so look the what the walls are literally made of paper saying. There's no way that there's nobody else that hears this and knows your story and the secret. So it was kind of funny to me, it's a recurring thing in socks with a like shut the doors. Everyone leave the room and I'm like, they're standing right
outside the door. Like all of your everything's aren't there. Yeah I it's a silly problem. I have in like all of the historical dramas I watch but there is the the one with the E Min-ho. Faith. No, no, it's modern day. Like palace stuff and I'm living. I owe the king of tournament. Yes. Yes. I would, they actually pointed out in that one, they're like, because it's like somebody's literally standing there and they're like, yeah.
I was listening on the other side of the wall, I was like, thank you. I'm glad it's acknowledged somewhere, right? It's literally a paper. It's literally like you could poke a hole through that. At and it'd make no difference anyway um I really appreciate you coming on the show and talking for an extended length of time on a very well done Saga. Look, I think you can agree. It's pretty well done. Despite your qualms with it and your low Hoops or for it.
I would still recommend it to people who like this type of show because it's just not for me personally. Gotcha. But I think it was really well done. The acting was amazing. The production is amazing. Yeah. Even like the little Settle things with like the score, like with the the episode, where the King dies and then it's just the beach. Waves is all you here. Stop like I'm getting emotional, it's just so good.
Well done. So no, I would still recommend it, even though I personally wasn't super super into it fair fair. I would definitely recommend it. I think it's actually quite underrated because I just don't see people talking about the crown clown, like, they should, you know, people talking about hotel do Luna same year. What are we doing? Why are we talking about the crown clown? Like, come on anyway.
Yeah, thank you Alex, thank you so much for being able to watch 16 hours of television with me. I had so much fun. Oh good. I'm so glad every day. So it was like, I had so much fun. I'm like, oh, that is music to my ears. I love to hear it. Where can people find you online? Alex. Um, well, the podcast is on all the platforms and then I am on Twitter and Instagram and I'm slowly getting it, a tick tock but I don't know. Doing so it's just kind of there. Yeah mostly on Instagram I think
at this point. So okay nice so follower at all. Hull you been. Wow I'm so sorry at how you been I have that right yeah okay perfect definitely give Alex a follow. She's wonderful she will talk to you about Kpop kdrama. Anything. How you wave? She's a really great friend on the social. So I again want to thank you so much for coming on this humble podcast. And I think that's it. That's a wrap for the crown Cloud. That's been our show.
I'm Jessica and this has been the debacle Rambles podcast.