5.14- Review of Episode 14 of Mr. Queen

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 14 of Mr. Queen, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Shin Hye-sun as Kim So-yong, Kim Jyung-hun as King Cheoljong, Seol In-ah as Jo Hwa-jin, Na In-woo as Kim Byeong-in, and Choi Jin-hyuk as Jang Bong-hwan.

We discuss:

The songs we feature during the recap: To My One and Only You by Xiumin and Lost Memory by Howl. Joanna is going to make an OST fan out of Sung Hee yet!
How the queen is so confused about her feelings toward the king and the night they spent together.
How the king is confused because the queen saved the banquet and then said she would betray the king.
The king and queen realized their notes were a result of a misdelivery. The king confesses to the queen that he likes her, but she says she can’t forgive him, and the old Kim So-yong is dead.
How the Grand Dowager Queen and Kim Jwa-geun decide to kill the queen through arsenic frozen into ice cubes and served during a brunch with the Grand Dowager Queen.
How the young court lady saves the queen by throwing a rock at her drink, but in the process, gets herself imprisoned.
How Kim Jwa-geun tells the other Kim family ministers that he has the ledger, or proof of their family’s corruption; as long as he is safe, he will keep the other ministers safe.
The most important K Drama element in this episode is the king talking to the queen while she’s sleeping. She wakes, confesses to the king (mistakenly) and that’s what leads to their night together.
How the young court lady is sentenced to death by drinking poison. The queen is furious with the king, until she realizes that the king has crossed fingers behind his back, a sign that what he is saying is a lie.
Why the title of the episode is “The woman who must die in order to live.”
A little background about the Joseon Dynasty, which was the period of continuous rule by a line of kings of the Yi family, that started in 1392 and ended in 1910, when Emperor Gojong, whom we met in Mr Sunshine, was forced to abdicate with the Japanese occupation.

References

###

K Drama Chat is a weekly podcast where we take one Korean (K) Drama each season and and recap and analyze each episode. K Drama Chat is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.

Comments

11.10 - Podcast Review of Episode 10 of When Life Gives You Tangerines

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 10 of When Life Gives You Tangerines , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring IU as Oh Ae-sun and Park Bo-gum as Yang Gwan-sik as young adults, then Moon So-ri as Oh Ae-sun and Park Hae-joon as Yang Gwan-sik as older adults. We discuss: The featured song during the recap: “Theme of Ae-sun” by Park Sung-il, the musician who also wrote “Theme of Gwan-sik,” “Spring in a Heartbeat,” and “Two Faced Summer” from this OST. The Baeksang Awards wins for this show—Best Drama, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor—and how validating it feels to have picked a gem for Season 11 of our podcast! How this episode focuses on three mothers and their powerful love for their children: Ae-sun, Yeong-ran, and Chung-seop’s mom. The symbolic and cultural significance of white rice, and how Bu Sang-gil uses it as a weapon in his drunken tirade. Oh Seong’s boiling anger against his father and sister, and his tragic learned behavior from witnessin...

11.14 - Podcast Review of Episode 14 of When Life Gives You Tangerines

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 14 of When Life Gives You Tangerines , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring IU as Oh Ae-sun and Park Bo-gum as Yang Gwan-sik as young adults, then Moon So-ri as Oh Ae-sun and Park Hae-joon as Yang Gwan-sik as older adults. We discuss: The songs featured during the recap: “A Rock that never erodes in the sea of my heart” and “Just be a good son, that’s all,” both by Park Seong-il, whose work captures the sad, wistful tone of the episode. Our guest Kim Soomin from Virginialicious shares her passion for Korean food and the stories behind her food tours. How Eun Myeong’s storyline takes center stage, highlighting the painful dynamics of favoritism, ambition, and parental regret. The cultural and historical context of buncheong stoneware, how Eun Myeong’s life was turned upside by a single buncheon statue. Pawnshops, especially during the IMF crisis in Korea. The heartbreaking reasons Eun Myeong started his business, and his desperate need to be...

12.4 - Podcast Review of Episode 4 of Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 4 of Extraordinary Attorney Woo , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Park Eun-bin as Woo Young-woo, Kang Tae-oh as Lee Jun-ho, Ha Yoon-kyung as Choi Soo-yeon, Ju Hyung-young as Dong Geu-ra-mi, Kang Ki-young as Jung Myung-seok, and Joo Jong-hyuk as Kwon Min-woo. We discuss: The songs featured during the recap: Tuning Into You by Wonstein and Growing Pains by Roh Young Shim. The emotional flashback of how Woo Young-woo and Dong Geu-ra-mi became best friends after a bullying incident at school. Korean inheritance law, including the now-abolished hojuje system and how remnants of male primogeniture persist, especially in chaebol families. The legal and cultural significance of the dojang (personal seal) used by Dong Dong Sam when signing over his land. The brilliant legal strategy Woo Young-woo employs to invalidate the “gift” of land to Dong Dong Sam’s brothers. The jesa (ancestral rites) ceremony and why Dong Geu-ra-mi’s behavior was cons...

K Drama Chat Weekly

Search This Blog