Welcome to the Open Thread, everyone! Thanks for joining in on this group watch of this very special show! ❤️

As I mentioned in my announcement post, these are my notes, exactly as they appear on Patreon.

ZERO SPOILER POLICY

We will be adopting a ZERO SPOILER POLICY for this Open Thread, except for events that have happened in the show, up to this point.

This includes, but is not limited to, how characters &/or relationships develop, later in the show.

The spoiler tags don’t work in email notifications, therefore, please take note that WE WILL NOT BE USING SPOILER TAGS FOR THIS OPEN THREAD. 

We need to protect the innocent! 😉

Without further ado, here are my reactions to this set of episodes; have fun in the Open Thread, everyone! ❤️

My thoughts

Episode 7

E7. The feelings; they are everywhere, and I am gleefully, emphatically here for it. 😁

Full disclosure, though. I’ve already been spoiled for the fact that our ending leans bittersweet / heartbreaking, even though I’ve managed to avoid the details for how that is, exactly (don’t tell me, I really don’t want to know! 🙈).

That could definitely put a bit of a damper on the watch experience, BUT, I rationalize that the reason Show’s chosen ending is being felt so keenly by so many, is because the teasing out of the feelings, and the building of relationship, has been that effective.

And if it’s that good, I’m gonna revel in it, and appreciate it for the good that it is. I’ll cross that ending bridge when I get to it.

For now, Show’s sucked me into its world, where San is grappling with his feelings for Deok Im, and Deok Im also appears to be grappling with her feelings for San, and it’s delicious to witness.

Mostly, I’m taken with San’s hyperawareness of Deok Im, San trying to stay calm and not show that hyperawareness, San delighting in any indication that Deok Im might like him too, and it’s just pretty darn great, all around.

I have absolutely no complaints at all, that Show serves up the bath scene again at the top of the episode. All the better to spazz over again, amiright? 🤩

I’m slightly chagrined, but nicely amused, that Court Lady Seo’s arrival throws both San and Deok Im into a fit of skittishness.

I am particularly amused that at the end of it all, it seems that San’s more disconcerted and unsettled than Deok Im. Muahaha.

After all, Deok Im has the presence of mind to look for a change of clothes, while San is completely confused by the sight of her hurriedly rummaging through the cupboard.

I do like the little detail, that San is gentlemanly and decorous enough to avert his gaze, the minute he realizes that Deok Im’s about to start getting changed.

As for the reason Court Lady Seo is so wound up at the fact that Deok Im’s entered the bath chamber by herself, I tend to think that it’s probably got to do with the previously implied thing, where Deok Im appeared to have been earmarked to possibly serve the Crown Prince’s, er, physical needs.

At the time Court Lady Seo had gotten all flustered too, and had appeared troubled at the possibility. I’m guessing that Court Lady Seo’s nervous and antsy reaction now, is probably along the same lines.

It does make me wonder why Court Lady Seo would be extra protective of Deok Im, and aside from her probably thinking of Deok Im as her own daughter, I’m starting to wonder if it has anything to do with the small tattoo of the character “明” that we (& San!) see, on Deok Im’s shoulder blade. Hrm..

Aside from San’s reluctance to see Deok Im leave, and his perplexed gaze around that, it’s also nice to see Deok Im take a blushy moment to herself, trying to banish the vision of San’s wet, glistening, chiseled abs from her mind’s eye.

Ahahaha. I can see why it’s so hard not to think about it, Deok Im! 😂

Previously, even when San’s thoughts had been preoccupied with Deok Im, he’d been perfectly able to function at his studies and other official matters, so it’s very telling, that this time, he’s not only spacing out during his lessons, but is also unable to function, even when he snaps out of his reverie.

Those feelings are definitely growing very well, if San’s reaction is anything to go by!

I found it very amusing indeed, to see how pleased San is, to overhear Deok Im tell her friends, that she adores him. The way he runs out on his own, so that he can delight in this new piece of knowledge, is really cute.

Too bad his belief comes crashing down later in the episode, when Head Guardsman fills San in, on the rest of Deok Im’s spiel, which effectively neutralizes her entire “confession.”

Aw. San’s disappointment is palpable through my screen.

In the meantime, though, we do get to see multiple little indications of San’s growing attachment to Deok Im.

The way he opens up to her and tells her something personal related to his childhood memories of his father; the way he shows her the blooming flowers and asks her what she thinks it means; the way he shows such deep concern, when Court Lady Seo fibs that Deok Im’s not feeling well.

Also, how about the way San reaches to touch Deok Im’s forehead, when she plays along with Court Lady Seo’s fib, and says that she’s caught a cold.

Eee! The gentle manner in which he touches her forehead, and the intent way in which he looks at her, it’s all quite swoony. 😍

Deok Im’s friend Wol Hye is turning out to be quite intriguing.

I mean, not only does she tell Deok Im that she’s got someone powerful backing her, it turns out that she’s quite the badass assassin too, when required to be.

I mean, the way she takes down that bunch of men who were tailing her at the market, is pretty darn impressive. I’m so curious to know more about her. Like, who is she really working for, and how did she become such a secret badass assassin?

This episode, there are several times when Deok Im emphasizes her need and desire for personal agency.

Like when Orabeoni says that it’s sad that she has to live as a court lady, and she defends herself, saying that she loves her work and is good at it, and also, when Head Court Lady Jo asks Deok Im if she’d like to be the Crown Prince’s concubine, and Deok Im declines, saying that she would like to continue to live as a court lady.

The very conscious, deliberate manner in which Deok Im quashes her feelings for San, and puts away any potential for a relationship with him other than that between master and servant, is quite interesting.

We’re not told specifically whether this has anything to do with her family history, which we only know partially at this point, but I suppose, in the context of Deok Im continually emphasizing her desire to have the right to choose, that isn’t especially relevant.

Her family might be a contributing factor for her decision, but the point, I think, is that Deok Im wants to have the right to choose, and have that choice be respected.

And, for reasons that we aren’t quite clear about right now, her choice is not to pursue these feelings between her and San.

She makes that very clear, when San tries to offer her the orange that he’d cutely hidden in his sleeve for her, asking San to allow her to decline.

It honestly feels like there are feelings everywhere, and these human wills are trying so hard to control them, but it’s not clear to me, whether these feelings are actually being brought under control.

I mean, when San tells Deok Im that he’s in his favorite place, with the person whom he likes, he looks so intensely smoldery, that I feel like I’d waver in my decision, if I were in Deok Im’s shoes. 😅

Poor San, though. He looks so frustrated, as he mutters, “Are we truly talking about the orange?”

I have a bad feeling about Deok Ro interfering to allow Deok Im’s friend Yeong Hui to keep the books that the King had ordered to be destroyed.

I’ve long decided that Deok Ro is not to be trusted, and even though Deok Im gives him that incense pouch to even the score, I just don’t trust Deok Ro not to use this against Deok Im somehow. 😬

I’m glad that Deok Im’s unexpectedly reunited with her brother, and their reunion is suitably poignant, but the minute Show introduces Orabeoni, I’d had a feeling that San was going to mistake Orabeoni for Deok Im’s suitor, which is exactly what happens at the end of our episode, ha.

I can’t help but feel mesmerized by San’s intensity in the library, as he confronts Deok Im and questions her about whether her everything belongs to him.

On the one hand, the fact that he’s this disturbed by the sight of her with Orabeoni, whom he assumes to be Deok Im’s suitor, tells me that his feelings for Deok Im are very strong.

On the other hand, his assumption that as his court lady, everything of Deok Im’s should belong to him, is a dictatorial, oppressive stance, that feels jarring compared to his sweetly burgeoning feelings for her.

Deok Im’s reiteration of her right to personal agency, even in the face of San’s rather intimidating stance, is really quite admirable, particularly for the times.

“Even a court lady has her own will and heart even though they may seem trivial to others. Even though I belong to you, my everything does not belong to you.”

The way San then grabs Deok Im by the neck, is quite alarming, honestly. This is a different side to San, that I may have conveniently forgotten exists, with all the sweet intensity that we’ve been seeing from him, of late.

I mean, I know that Deok Im will be fine – we’re only at episode 7, after all – but I can’t help wondering how this scene will get resolved.

Will San – gasp – apologize, like Deok Im had once said he should learn to do, for grabbing her by the neck like that?

Episode 8

E8. We get some important developments and reveals this episode, and I’m interested and invested, but also.. I have to confess that I’m mostly just flailing at Junho on my screen.

My appreciation might absolutely be blown out of proportion, but.. how is he this good? 🤩🤩

We start the episode where we left off last episode, with San holding Deok Im’s neck in his grasp, and I’m sobered to realize that everything that he says is true. Deok Im’s life and death does lie in his hands.

Even though Deok Im values and aspires to personal agency, there is a definite limit to the areas in which she can exercise that agency, and in this world, in this context – particularly given what happens this episode – this feels like a solemn reminder of the system in which Deok Im lives.

While it may be startling to us, to see our swoony male lead deliver such a dark warning to the woman that he loves, I realize that San’s not wrong, in his statement.

I do wish that San had found out that the object of his jealousy, isn’t Deok Im’s lover, but her long-lost brother, but.. I suppose that reveal will have to come another day.

We do get another key realization between our OTP this episode, though, so I’m quite happy to trade one for the other, for now.

In terms of key plot developments, this episode, the King’s dementia, and San’s regency, takes a good chunk of screen time, and I’m both glad for it, and nervous about how it’s going to shake out.

On the one hand, it is just dangerous to have a King on the throne, who’s got absolute power, but who’s suffering from dementia. That’s just a recipe for disaster. And so, I’m actually glad that the King makes the difficult decision to make San his regent.

After all, it must be hard to let go of all this power, if you’re used to wielding absolute power, right?

On the other hand, the fact that so many people oppose San’s regency, makes me nervous.

There’s already so much scheming within the court; does San really need all these people opposing him, now more overtly than ever before? Poor San. The fact that he’s his father’s son will probably haunt him for life, it looks like.

The other thing that niggles at me, is Deok Ro, who’s supposedly on San’s side, but who is definitely more interested in his own fortunes, than in being loyal to San.

There’s that moment, when he tells his sister that his name will be known all over the land. It makes me wonder just what Deok Ro has in mind, and how that will affect San. Is Deok Ro possibly planning to steal the throne from San, at some point..?

And then there’s the reveal of the shadow organization of court maids, headed by Head Court Lady Jo.

I guess Show’s given us a hint of this, when we saw Wol Hye acting like a ninja assassin at the market, but the fact that she belongs to an actual organization, which appears to be a network of spies (and likely assassins), is still startling.

That story that Young Hee starts telling her friends, about the moon fairies coming down to earth to help the King was fine and good – until it started to bleed into the reality of Gwangan Palace.

I found the whole thing quite unorthodox and weird, because I haven’t seen anything like this in another sageuk (not that I’ve watched all the sageuks there are, of course).

It’s just a rather strange narrative touch, to have court ladies organized like this, to spy on the royals, for their own agenda. After all, they’re supposed to be wholly serving the King.

I can’t tell if Gwangan Palace has always been a thing, but apparently Head Court Lady Jo is running it like some kind of revenge weapon.

If Court Lady Park is correct, Head Court Lady Jo basically engineered Crown Prince Sado’s death, because the King had chosen Consort Yeong to be his concubine, instead of her. Wow. Talk about juicy gossip?

Gwangan Palace is vibing like an assassin sect to my eyes, so far, like the one in Warrior Baek Dong Soo, for example, where people are groomed to be assassins.

The way they operate feels a lot like that, and the way Head Court Lady Jo tortures Court Lady Park, barely keeping her alive – because court ladies are not allowed to die in the palace – is quite surreal to witness.

This makes Head Court Lady Jo’s request of Deok Im, that Deok Im become the Crown Prince’s concubine, so much more sinister than it had first appeared. She wants Deok Im to spy on the Crown Prince, and report back to Gwangan Palace.

I’m beginning to see why it’s wise of Deok Im to decline. I certainly wouldn’t want Deok Im to be entangled with Gwangan Palace. 😬

Of course, Head Court Lady Jo’s not one to back down easily, which is how Deok Im ends up almost losing her life, when that book, which the King had granted her, is discovered in her belongings. Yikes.

That was a close call for Deok Im, with the cranky King not immediately remembering that he’d ever given the book, and ordering that her heel tendons be cut, and that she be thrown out of the palace. Geez. That’s horrible.

It’s no wonder San hadn’t wanted Deok Im to see the King, and had instead requested for Deok Im’s exile. He was probably afraid for her life, if she were to see the King, particularly with the King suffering from dementia.

I’m sure he didn’t actually want to send her away, but with her life in danger, the lesser evil, was to save her, by sending her away. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for San, too.

It says so much, that when the King’s made his pronouncement of Deok Im’s punishment, San actually gets down on his knees, to plead with the King to give Deok Im more time. That literally saves Deok Im’s life.

And, it’s a huge deal, for the Crown Prince to plead on his knees for anything, let alone a court maid. That should tell Deok Im all she needs to know, about San’s heart to save her, rather than to punish her.

I’m glad that Deok Im realizes this, and that she prepares to thank San, even practicing what she’ll say – which is when San overhears and answers her.

Aw. I like it when these two get to interact alone, in that secret garden, away from prying eyes and ears.

I’m pleased that Deok Im tells San why she’d been upset, and that she’s grateful that he saved her.

And, I kinda love how San leads Deok Im to the realization that the boy who had paid his respects to Consort Yeong, along with her, had been none other than San himself.

“Do you remember… the name of the boy?”

“His name was… San.”

“My name… is San.”

Ahhh. For some reason, I find this exchange so satisfying.

I love that he leads her through her memories, and I love that he tells her his name.

After all, this is a very personal thing, and if I’m not mistaken, royals’ names are not to be uttered by their subjects, and therefore are not known by their subjects.

I’m not super sure if this is true of all royals but this is certainly true of the King, and I am guessing, therefore also the Crown Prince.

Regardless, it feels like a momentous thing, that San would tell Deok Im his name like this.

Ahhh. The way San takes her in his arms, and grasps her shoulders tightly, makes me feel like he’s found a treasure that he wants to hold onto with all his might. That is swoony. 😍

Deok Im hugging him back is a big deal too, since she’s been consistently keeping him at arm’s length, even though she knows that he likes her.

This hug feels primarily driven by the gladness, surprise and relief, that they’ve found that childhood connection that they’d shared. But from San’s side, at least, I can feel a great deal of deeper, stronger emotion that’s running undercurrent.

I love me some smoldery, intent San. I can’t help myself. 🤩

On another note, I can’t help worrying that someone will see them like this, even though this is a private garden. We now know that we’ve got a legit spy organization among the court ladies, after all..? 😬

Next Open Thread will be up on: Saturday, 3 August 2024!