Asian Addicts Anonymous

Oh, this episode was funny! The interactions between King Sukjong and an unknowing Dong Yi were just priceless. I especially liked it when Sukjong states that he has never run in his life, nor climbed walls, nor actually fought anyone before. Dong Yi’s reactions to these statements are definitely understandable (especially when Sukjong states he is kind of a police officer).

Dong Yi notices that the dead man is the chimemaker she met during her stay at the music makers. This confirms that this has something to do with the musical discordance. Dong Yi can tell the chimemaker was poisoned and determines to get out of the shed and get the authorities. As she cuts through the ropes binding her, the men who captured her return with the orders to find out who she is and get rid of her. Dong Yi catches that and desperately tries to get out through a locked window. She rigs a beam to a rope and manages to smash through before the men can catch her. She runs to the authorities and reports the murder. She then shows them to the hut which had been cleaned and emptied, causing the officers to be disgruntled and accuse Dong Yi of lying.

Dong Yi goes back to the palace and her duties as a music school slave. She tries to figure out just what is going on. Young Dal notices her distraction and asks her what is wrong. She tells him about her capture, the dead chimemaker, and her subsequent escape. Young Dal immediately tells Dong Yi to run and she replies as the men don’t know who she is, running will oust her true identity. She then enlists Young Dal’s aid to check the music school’s chimes. If the chimes were somehow messed with, then that would cause the discordance as all other instruments are tuned according to the chimes.

Young Dal and Dong Yi get caught by Head Hwang who scolds them for being in the chime room which could get them in big trouble if the officials caught them. Young Dal tells Hwang about Dong Yi’s theory and Hwang states that they were already investigated and found perfectly normal. This perplexes both Dong Yi and Young Dal. Then what exactly caused the discordance if it wasn’t the chimes?

Meanwhile, King Sukjong’s officials report that they have found nothing that suggests that the musical discordance was indeed a trick. This angers Sukjong as reports are already spreading through the capital causing an uproar among citizens – what Sukjong wanted to avoid the most. He tells his men that if they cannot bring him any new information beyond we’re sorry we found nothing then they can hand in their resignations. He then says he will leave palace to talk with the police to see what they have managed to uncover.

Worried that Lady Jang has uncovered her plot, Queen Myeongseong goes to have a midnight conversation with the woman she absolutely loathes. This surprises Lady Jang, but confirms her suspicions that something isn’t going right in the queen’s plan to bring her to Lady Jang’s door. The dowanger queen realizes that Lady Jang knows nothing, which vaguely comforts her, but she cannot relax due to Dong Yi’s escape. If Dong Yi knows anything, she could easily bring down the dowager queen’s carefully worked out plan. Dong Yi is oblivious to all of this as happens in most cases.

King Sukjong goes to meet with the police. An officer spoke up saying that the investigation at palace and outside won’t go well because they are searching for what they have instead of what they don’t. The king asks the man to explain, but he can’t. Sukjong then asks all those present whose idea was it really. Officer Seo speaks up and says it was him. Seo intrigues the king, especially when he learns who Seo’s father was. In a private conversation with the king, Seo tells Sukjong about a report of a young woman finding a dead body. It wasn’t officially reported as the body was gone. Both Sukjong and the king believe this report has something to do with the incident, especially when Seo says that it was reportedly a chimemaker’s body.

Young Dal helps Dong Yi leave the palace to investigate, meanwhile Sukjong delays his return to the palace in order to check out where the body was reportedly found. While this is going on, Officer Seo and his men comb the mountains for the disposed body of the chimemaker. Dong Yi discovers the men behind the plot and follows them. She sees them drop a bag and she later investigates to see if they left any clues behind. She finds a piece of rock salt, like what she saw in the shed when she was tied up there. She decides to go back to the shed and investigate.

Dong Yi gets to the shed and begins searching. Sukjong and his men ride up and Dong Yi hides behind some straw. Sukjong comes into the shed and finds a piece of rock salt. The men from earlier ride in and begin attacking the king’s men (obviously not knowing they are the king’s men). Sukjong goes to hide and is surprised to find Dong Yi there. Dong Yi keeps Sukjong quiet and makes sure to keep pushing his head down so the person sent to search the shed does not find them.

After he leaves, Dong Yi grabs Sukjong and drags him out of the shed. They begin running, escaping from the men who are trying to kill people to tie up the loose ends. Sukjong tells Dong Yi he has to stop and rest, they’ve already run a great distance. Dong Yi is upset by this saying they haven’t gotten far enough away. Sukjong then tells Dong Yi he’s never run before (heehee, seriously?). Dong Yi asks who he is and Sukjong replies he’s investigating the case. Dong Yi concludes he is with the police bureau and he doesn’t disagree (as he doesn’t want to reveal his true identity). Dong Yi confides that she was the one who found the body and she asks Sukjong if he will believe her (as no one else does). Much to Dong Yi’s surprise, Sukjong says he does. She then takes Sukjong to the house where she saw the men earlier. She tells Sukjong to go get help from the police while she kept watch.

On his way to the police, Sukjong pauses and turns back, concerned for Dong Yi’s safety. With good reason. While he was gone, Dong Yi noticed the men were getting ready to toss the evidence in the water (thus dissolving it). Sukjong catches her trying to climb the wall. He scolds her for doing something so reckless. She asks where the police are and he tells her he sent a passerby. Dong Yi cannot believe him. How does Sukjong know that the person will deliver the message? (The peasant does, to Officer Seo, who believes him after seeing the king’s seal. He gathers up his men to ride and ensure the king’s safety).

Dong Yi states they need to get the evidence before it’s destroyed so Sukjong should climb over the wall. He states that he has never climbed over a wall before. Dong Yi gives him two choices: climb the wall or act as a stool. Sukjong chooses the latter, but he is embarrassed as bending over and being used as a stool is degrading. Dong Yi safely makes it over the wall and lets Sukjong in through the door. Sukjong then goes and collects the evidence. He drops it and catches the attention of the bad guys who immediately begin chasing Dong Yi and Sukjong who run (poor Sukjong’s doing a lot of running and other things he’s not used to :P).

Sukjong tells Dong Yi to leave and save herself and to tell the police what happened. Dong Yi refuses to leave Sukjong. They came together and by God they were going to leave together. The episode ends with Sukjong and Dong Yi cornered. Sukjong again tells Dong Yi to escape, but he throws in a twist saying it’s and order from her king.

My thoughts: This is truly a funny episode, political intrigue aside. There are a lot of funny moments which help counterbalance the heavier episodes. Ji Jin Hee as Sukjong in this episode was a riot. It’s his first time running, first time climbing walls, and first time having a real fight. Heehee, Dong Yi got a lot of Sukjong’s firsts. Her disbelief and annoyance in Sukjong is priceless. You have to wonder what will her reaction be when she learns the truth behind Sukjong’s identity.

I find myself liking Lady Jang. They always made her character sound so evil, but she’s not so bad yet. The two queens intrigue me. They don’t really go into why they dislike Lady Jang so much beyond calling Lady Jang a low-bred woman. Is there another reason behind this intense dislike? Will we ever find out?