Traitors, tyrants, and heroes all sporting glorious hair.  We have it all in this week’s Mane of Glory recap.  So come join us as we discuss hair epiphanies, tragic romance, and a ton of politicking shenanigans.

SCARLET HEART RYEO

Forgettable Prince Has A Moment…. An Evil Moment

KMUSE: What is the point of this character?  He is so forgettable, I don’t even remember what number prince he is.  But, it looks like he is up to no good and bribing the kings bath maid.  I have to assume it is going to impact the Crown Prince’s (now King) skin condition.

CLKYTTA: I think he’s number 9.  He’s what we would call “squirrely” around here. He’s someone who stays just under the radar and you think he’s harmless and then he chews half your roof off. He won’t ever be king, but he’s managed to not be collateral damage.

Jennie: I don’t think I can add anything beyond Squirrely. That pretty much sums it up.

Drama Geek: Yes, this guy will always be on the winning teams side. He’s like Wook except he doesn’t care if people don’t like him, he just wants to survive.

KMUSE: Sure enough the King is being poisoned by mercury every time he takes a bath.  Feeling really bad for his situation right now since he is officially going crazy.

CLKYTTA: I knew something was up! I really liked him.

Drama Geek: It makes me sad that his entire reign as king he was slowly going crazy. I wonder if someone’s poisoning Prince Bo Gum’s dad, his actions are very similar to this guys.

Jennie: I think being the king was a curse to him anyway, he never really wanted it. It was his father who kept pushing it.

Abdication

KMUSE: You have to appreciate Wook’s use of the King’s issues to further his own agenda.  Not sure if he is the cause of the poisoning or not, but it sure seems shifty.  I laughed out loud when it backfired and the King decided to abdicate to So instead of Wook.

CLKYTTA: Wook has officially turned to the dark side.  That was pretty ballsy of him to tell the King he should abdicate.  I’m really glad that the King was like, hey, good idea, I’ll abdicate to So. Meanwhile Wook is there looking like a Second Lead who just watched a kiss between the First Leads.

Drama Geek: Bring on the eyeliner for Wook! LOL It actually looks killer (ha ha) on him. Wook is patient and quietly devious. He’s totally behind the poisoning. He still insists on looking like the good guy. (Note to Wook: don’t put the eyeliner on if you want to appear good).

Jennie: And who wants to bet he’s going to blame his disillusions on Soo?

A Marriage Arrangement

KMUSE: The king is deteriorating rapidly and looking for anyone to protect him from mysterious threats.  He is about to marry his young daughter off to the Chinese but So stops him by agreeing to marry her himself and protect his brother.

Drama Geek: I give props to the writer for making So marrying his niece seem like an act of mercy and not totally icky.

CLKYTTA: I wasn’t creeped out by this like I expected to be.  So is obviously trying to protect her and I’m ok with this.  This young actress did a great job here too.  She was sobbing her heart out and I just wanted to hug her.

Jennie: It’s time for the king to go if he can’t see how he’s hurting his daughter. Ugh, glad So stepped in to save the day.

I Came to Sit by the Water. But the Clouds had Come.

KMUSE: Poor So.  Due to his childhood trauma he is forced to get married to his young niece and lose the love of his life.  So very tragic.  I am just glad they were able to get over this hurtle in their relationship.

CLKYTTA: I loved his honesty.  He told her that he knew how she felt about multiple wives, but he couldn’t let his niece be a hostage like he was.

Drama Geek: It made me sad that he was so close to making her is one and only wife and then he had to do this. I was glad that it only took them a bit before they were able to talk about it honestly and she understood it from his side. The niece is to be his second wife so that first wife slot is still open for Su if all the stars were to align in their favor.

Jennie: I have a feeling the stars won’t align for a while. And that poem was so heartbreaking. Could it be any more tragic?

KMUSE: This was everything I was hoping their first kiss would be (I don’t count the forced kiss).  It was sweet and romantic.  Just wish we were given more than 5 minutes of happiness before the crap hit the fan.

CLKYTTA: Sigh, swoon, sigh.  What other kiss? I’ve blocked that travesty from my mind. This kiss gave me all the feels.  I love that she kisses him first and it’s not a fish eyed kiss.

Drama Geek: The fact that her answer to him saying he loved her was to plant a super sweet kiss on him made me so happy.

Jennie: Yep, wiped the other kisses from my brain.

Someone Grew Some Hair

KMUSE: This is literally my reaction anytime Prince Yo showed up.

That is one serious hairdo he is sporting.  Have to admit I am kind of missing the guyliner.  Can’t he have an emotional evil epiphany and not switch his look?

Drama Geek: Haha, he couldn’t find eyeliner in the wild so he found a dead animal on the side of the road and attached it to his face and head. Then he laughed manically and said, “Now I look more evil than when I had eyeliner!”

CLKYTTA: Wait, where did the eyeliner go?  Is this really Yo or Yo’s more evil twin? I miss the eyeliner. I do have to say that his Mane of Glory is pretty awesome.  Yo’s new look makes me think of a pirate. (KMUSE: Another blog compared him to Jafar from Aladdin.  I can’t unsee it now)

Jennie: Now this is a true mane! I want to pet him like the ferocious kitten he is.

KMUSE: Surprisingly I actually cried when Prince Moo died.  It was just so tragic.  I especially was taken aback at the moments when the astrologer was mourning over his friend’s death.

CLKYTTA: I was really sad to see King Moo die too.  His character was flawed, but he was a really decent person. I had no idea that he and the astrologer were so close.  The scene of them as kids broke my heart.

Drama Geek: The scene with the kids really shed light on their relationship and it made the scene where he finds King Moo dead more poignant. Wasn’t little Prince So about the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen?

Jennie: The worst part of it all was how innocent he was. Had he been sane, he would have made a great king. The fact that it had to end in poison and drowning was awful.

KMUSE: I also thought that it was brilliant when Jafar, I mean Prince Yo, used Su as a bargaining chip to keep So in line.  Really exceptional planning on his part.

All of this happened because of Su…….again

KMUSE: I am getting a tad bit sick of Su’s martyr complex.  Just saying that I could use a bit less moping and a little bit more positive living despite hardships.

CLKYTTA: She’s getting boring.  She’s like that friend you have that’s always on Facebook posting vague things to get attention. It’s always about her, no one else makes stupid choices, just her.  Get over yourself already. I miss the Su that was hopeful and daring.

Drama Geek: Well… unfortunately those stupid princes keep making it about her. I feel like the last 2 years she’s really come into her own as Lady Hae Su and she was happy. You could see it in her earlier scenes with So in this episode. But then Wook saves himself again by handing over Su for Yo to use to control So. She has a reason to feel like it’s her fault because if she wasn’t there So would have killed Yo on the spot and become king.

Jennie: Her acting has never bothered me in the past, but compared to the amazing soul-searching looks Joon Gi gives, I sometimes find myself annoyed. But yeah, the princes have put the blame on her for everything. I miss her bubbly side.

KMUSE: I am also annoyed that the writer threw in that whole Yo was not supposed to be a king only a traitor according to the stars schtick.  I might be interested if the story wasn’t following history to a tee.  But the whole concept of Su being the cause of a changed history is just stupid when they are going by the history books.  It just doesn’t work for me.

CLKYTTA: This adds nothing to the story.  Seriously, nothing.  Traitors can be kings.

Drama Geek: Haha. Again, I’ll play devil’s advocate. When it comes to time travel you never know if recorded history is what was supposed to happen or if was like that because the person went back in time and changed it. Maybe if Su hadn’t traveled back in time, Wook wouldn’t have gotten off his butt and wanted to be king and So would have really killed Yo and then become king.

Jennie: Well, we do get a disclaimer at the beginning of each episode…

A Moment of Lighthearted Feelz

KMUSE: It was sad that we had to go 20 years in the past to get our bit of humor.  Watching the two brothers and the astrologer as younger children just made me happy.

CLKYTTA: This was a bittersweet scene for me.  I really liked the brotherly feels I was getting from all three of them. It also makes sense now why Moo trusted So as much as he did.  They were close as children.  The conversation they had here regarding So’s mom was enlightening too.

Drama Geek: The younger actors they got to play these characters were spot on. And there relationship was so sweet and innocent. It makes you wonder what type of king Moo could have been if So never left his side.

Jennie: A young So was so adorable. Just cute as can be.

Fugitives

Drama Geek: These two actors really had a sweet chemistry and there were so many glimpses of what Exo Prince could have been under a different directorial hand. That last look was definitely smolder (which I knew he was capable of because I like EXO). It is sad that the one and only night they are together is right before their demise. At least he finally got his act together at the end.

KMUSE: This scene is so cute, but I can’t help but feel it is tainted by what is about to occur.  Sure we haven’t seen this couple’s death yet, but the foreshadowing is pretty strong that they will not survive the upcoming days.

CLKYTTA: EXO Prince was really on his A game here.  That little look he gave her when they left the baths was a very decent smolder and made me take a second look at him as an actor.  I’m very glad to see that he’s still playful, but not completely selfish and stupid.

Jennie: I’m glad he finally saw her for the amazing woman she is, but that means tragedy is around the corner.

KMUSE: WOW.  If I am judging those suspicious eye contact correctly, it was really Incest Princess who poisoned the king.  She really is a horrible and cold person.  Now I feel a tiny bit guilty suspecting that it was Wook.  Not enough to forgive him, but there is a twinge.

CLKYTTA: Oh, I think she was behind the mercury, but I think Wook had some kind of side game going on too.  He’s acting way too guilty.  Then again, he’s almost as bad as Su is anymore.  Yawn.

Drama Geek: I’m still convinced that Wook was in on it but again he kept his hands clean so Su’s maid friend wouldn’t know he was involved.

Jennie: Oh Wook was part of it. Remember how he keeps reminding his sister that she’s his slave. Yeah. That.

KMUSE: But wasn’t the slave part because he saved her and gave up Su?  At least that is how I took that comment.

KMUSE: I don’t foresee us having any happy OTP moments in our immediate future.  With Su’s martyr complex I doubt she will handle the upcoming deaths well.

CLKYTTA: I think this drama is going to rip our hearts out and stomp on them.

Drama Geek: Oh the sadness to come. And you guys are dwelling on Su’s martyr complex while I know So is going to start unraveling if he is in any way responsible for the death of Eun.

Jennie: I can say this at least, the story has me totally gripped. It’s one of the few Sageuks that have kept me interested this long.

MOONLIGHT DRAWN BY CLOUDS

An Unnecessary  & Unsuccessful Trap

KMUSE: I am just going to put it out there now.  I was not a fan of these two episodes and therefore will be a bit of a negative Nelly.  Park Bo Gum is still gorgeous as always, but some of the characters did some REALLY stupid things and no amount of crying prince moments are going to fix that for me.

CLKYTTA: Did they have a writer change or an extension that I don’t know about? All signs point to trying to add filler to the drama and getting lost in the details.

Drama Geek: My comments will be sparse because I’ll admit that I skimmed these episodes a bit. It helps to keep Ra On’s character in my heart and the writer too.

KMUSE: So we had the bad guys set up a trap to catch Prince Bo Gum and Ra On together.  Which means they can play the Prince is a traitor card.  What I want to know is how did they know where Ra On was to send her the letter?  She is the worst hidden person in the history of Sageuk’s at this point.

At least Prince Bo Gum kept his wits about him.  I totally cheered when he scooted Ra On out the back door with Guardsman Kim while he sprung a trap for the bad guys out front.  His expressions of disdain were epic.  Do not mess with an entitled prince.

CLKYTTA: I was really distracted by Prince Bo Gum in this scene.  Did anyone else notice how square his jaw is?  I love how he looks at everyone like they are dirt under his feet. He’s really nailed down that bored royal look.

The Werewolf Society

KMUSE: Sorry.  I can’t unsee those matching headbands with what appears to be a werewolf against a moon sported by our secret society.  With the exception of Guard Kim (Man, his hair is sexy no matter how he styles it) they all look silly.

CLKYTTA: Anytime they have matching hair accessories it’s a sign of bad things to come. Guard Kim looks as sexy as usual though.

Drama Geek: Guard Kim I still have faith in you no matter what accessories you employ.

The Almost Wife is Always the Last to Know

CLKYTTA: I think it was so much easier when she thought that Prince Bo Gum wasn’t capable of loving her like she did him. To know that he really was in love with a woman, someone that she had actually considered a friend, must hurt her pride a lot.

KMUSE: I continue to feel bad for poor wannabe princess.  At least she hasn’t turned evil.

Drama Geek: I almost wish she’d thought he was gay for a little while. It might have saved her some heart break.

Jin Young  Blackmails the Queen

CLKYTTA: Oh Jin Young, you were what made this week worthwhile.  I loved to see you some in from the side door and turn everything upside down.  I always love the strong silent ones that no one seems to take seriously.  They are the ones who rise up when everyone else falls down.

KMUSE: I know this is a tiny bit wrong, but I kind of want to see Jin Young as king.  He has an brilliant mind that always figures a way to win against the bad guys and I love that.  If only he didn’t have to walk over Prince Bo Gum to get there.

CLKYTTA: Evil Stepmom Queen has just one look. That crazy wide eyed fearsome look where you don’t know if she’s going to have her eyes roll back and pass out or reach out and slap the crap out of someone.

Drama Geek: I loved that Jin Young go the upper hand with her! He’s the opposite of Wook. He goes around helping people and doesn’t let anyone know he’s a good guy.

Back from the Dead

KMUSE: He successfully avoids capture for 10 years but within 5 minutes of coming out of hiding he gets caught.  Hmm.  I sense that we are now at the filler part of the story.  I swear if someone ends up with amnesia I will scream.

CLKYTTA: I agree with you, KMUSE.  Again, this seems like filler, Dad’s memory has been doing a great job so far, so why bring him back from the dead?

Drama Geek: I don’t want to harp, but EVERYONE knows where Ra On and her mother live. Why are they still there to being with? And WHY is a fugitive who has been in hiding suddenly appear? What prompted him to come out now? Such a convenient plot device.

What the Hell Happened to Ra On’s Intelligence?

KMUSE: Ra On keeps saying that she doesn’t want to cause Prince Bo Gum harm by being near him.  That she has to disappear to keep those she loves safe.  Obviously that is just lip service since the next thing you know, she is sneaking into the palace to have a father/daughter reunion.  Than a Prince Bo Gum reunion, then back to daddy again.  THIS IS STUPID.  Move the heck away from the place where everyone knows who you are.  Does it suck that your dad you have never met is going to die for treason (which he is guilty of)?  Sure.  But that doesn’t mean you destroy your soulmate by coming back so he is forced to defend you and lose his position.  Ra On is such a selfish character.  At this point I am not even liking her that much.  I miss the spunky, intelligent Ra On of yesteryear… or at least 8 episodes ago.

CLKYTTA: She’s as bad as Su right now.  Just leave Traitor Dad alone, he’s managed to do just fine  for 10 years without letting anyone know he’s still alive. I really don’t like how she is torturing Prince Bo Gum, stay or go Ra On, stop being wishy-washy.

Drama Geek: Here is where most Kdramas lose me. Why does an intelligent spunky character who has taken care of herself for years devolve into being foolish and always having to be saved? I’m so tired of female characters that fade so much from their original self that by the end you can’t even recognize them. I do not blame the actress. I just wish writers would learn how to do a story and keep the lead female strong, intelligent and a viable part of everything that is going on. Not just someone to save over and over and over again.

Catch 22

CLKYTTA: Of course she gets caught.  I don’t know what the writers are doing anymore.  All this time where she’s been crafty and able to survive being caught multiple times and now they just leave her kicking her shoe in the dirt to be caught?   Why give us the secret hiding spot when you are just going to put a target on her?

KMUSE: I will admit that I was pissed off at this point.  So much so, that I kind of just wish they had killed Ra On so we could have the two last episodes be about Park Bo Gum being tragically devastated. I could happily watch Park Bo Gum cry for two hours.  Preferable over Ra On’s sudden onset of stupidity.

CLKYTTA: This was the best scene of the night.  These actors are able to convey so much with their eyes and it was obvious there was a whole unspoken conversation between Prince Bo Gum and Guard Kim.  I’m excited to see what happens next week, but I’m going to be seriously hacked off if Guard Kim turns into a Noble Idiot who dies.

Drama Geek: Guard Kim, I still have faith in you. I know it looks like you chose the rebels’ side, but I feel like you knew the only way Prince Bo Gum would live is if you were the one putting the sword to his throat.

I love this drama and I won’t let 2 episodes ruin it for me. I feel like in any sageuk this stuff happens and it’s just par for the course. I have faith in this production that the last 2 episodes next week will bring us back to what we loved, and that is our couple. Yeah, we’ll have to shake off Ra On’s stupid choices, but I’ll leave those to the writer and not her character.

KMUSE: OK, I agree.  This drama rocks.  But when I rewatch in the future, these two episodes are going to be skipped.

Thanks for joining us for another edition of Mane of Glory Recap.  You can find our past posts HERE and be sure to check back next week as we discuss Moonlight Drawn by Clouds dramatic ending.

The Fangirls

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