I am not a big fan of Lee Byung Hun & Kim Tae Ri when the news about this couple as the main lead for Kim Eun Sook's new drama, Mr. Sunshine. But after several episodes, I dare to say I’m loving Kim Tae Ri as Go Ae Shin more and more as this show goes on — her forthright manner with the guys, her blind courage, her stubborn loyalty to her values. She manifests the heart of the resistance, and she’s such a force.
In 1871, Go Ae Shin was born from our favorite on-screen couple, Seo Dae Yong & Yoon Myung Ju from 'Descendant of the Sun' who fights for the independence of Korea, Sang Wan (Ae Shin's father played by Jin Goo) and Hui Jin (Ae Shin's mother played by Kim Ji Won). They were killed by Wan Ik (Joseon people who has the desire to sell the nation), Ae Shin was then saved and raised by her grandfather, the noble man who also acted as an advisor of the King.
That year, it was the year when American ships sail towards Joseon. Meanwhile, there was a nine years old boy, Choi Yoo Jin (played by Kim Kang Hoon) who also lost his parents due to slavery.
In exchange to save young Yoo Jin lives, her mother tried to kill the pregnant woman of the house, took her ornament and told Yoo Jin to sell it for no less than three bag of rice.
With the help of a ceramist & American man, he ran away to America to survive.
What a beautiful introduction to the show. There were so many distinct moments in this first episode that somehow stood out independently and also blended into the overarching story. I was afraid that these storylines would get jumbled and disconnected, but I truly think that every moment was intentional and mindfully placed. What’s captured visually is hard to describe in words.
The colonialization of western culture introduce Joseon to new era, specially English language. Ae Shin was told about "love" by a friend who prefers to have "love" rather than doing public service & earning a title and she's very curious about "love". Maybe it was in her blood, Ae Shin was different from other Joseon woman.
She has a lot of interest with politics, as she narrates, "It was a turbulent time, when yesterday was far, today was unfamiliar, and tomorrow was feared. We all, in our own ways, were experiencing a turbulent Joseon." One day, she was caught by her Grandfather for being curious about the world. He warns her by attributing Queen Min’s (King Gojong’s first wife) premature death to her involvement in state affairs and the king’s business. Ae Shin interprets that example to convey how Joseon is changing, but Grandfather’s convinced that Joseon is collapsing.
Headstrong Ae Shin explains that she must know the happenings in the outside world because the Western world is infiltrating Joseon, but Grandfather argues that those affairs are for the king and the government. Even if there was no government, he won’t allow Ae Shin to get involved in the fate of Joseon, especially after losing his sons (Ae Shin’s father and uncle) to the cause.
Grandfather wants Ae Shin to marry off and live a beautifully ignorant life, but Ae Shin says that she would rather die than do that. Grandfather is taken aback by her response. Grandfather laments that Joseon has become the target of impudence, the statesmen are no different than traitors, and the scholars have lost their way. He knows that Ae Shin, like her father, may respond to this turbulence by becoming a resistance fighter. He’s tried to steer her away from that path, but if it becomes an inevitable fate, he wonders… mustn’t they teach her how to live?
Grandfather has already lost two children, and he’s not willing to lose his granddaughter. He requests, “I won’t ask you to protect her. But please teach her to protect herself.” The humble man agrees to do this, he is Jang Seung Gu (played by Choi Moo Sung), the adolescent boy who lost his father in the battle against the Americans. The training began and now Ae Shin is our main female hero, she's trully a badass!
Years after that, in 1898, that young boy, Choi Yoo Jin, with his English name, Eugene Choi - meaning the great & noble (played by Lee Byung Hun), an American and also the Captain of US Marine Corps finally deployed to station in Hanseong (old name of South Korea).
He was hesitant to come back to his homeland, in which there's no place in that country for him to be saved thirty years ago.
It was hard for him not to think about revenge for his parents, yet he decided to do nothing while in Joseon & if he has to do something, it would be for the doom of Joseon, a country who do not have power to protect its people from slavery.
When finally our two lead met, it was on the day when an American, Logan Taylor was shot by both of them. It was not difficult for Ae Shin & Eugene to find out who the other person was, even though both of them wore mask.
Even Eugene told Ae Shin that he has the same direction with her.
Ae Shin pretended she did not know anything he was talking about yet she was curious enough about the identity of this unfamiliar man, and whether he is an enemy or a comrade.
Then they met again the second time, because Eugene has been chosen to investigate about the death of Logan Taylor as he's the US Ambassador. Ae Shin was called to the US Legation to be questioned. Eugene cuts to the chase and outlines in great detail the circumstances of that night: It was the street lamp lighting ceremony, so the sound of the electricity would hide the sound of gunshots and the crowds would hide their traces.
He asks if that’s why that day was chosen, and Ae Shin feigns ignorance. Eugene continues that gunshots were traced to two different locations and asks if Ae-shin saw anything. Once again, Ae Shin denies knowing or seeing anything.
Eugene walks around the desk and stops right in front of Ae Shin. He slowly lifts his hand to cover the bottom half of her face, and then says that he thinks he may have seen her. Ae Shin lifts her hand to do the same, staring right into his eyes, and says, “If that’s suspicion, then I think I saw you as well.”
Without acknowledging their double identities, they both claim that the other looks familiar, the air of suspicion adding to the tension. Eugene asks to know who Ae Shin really is, and she says that a foreigner has no business in knowing such information. She returns the question, asking if Eugene is part of the Hwalbindang (the infamous group of bandits who stole from the rich and gave to the poor) or the Righteous Army. He responds by asking, “If I am a part of these groups, am I on your side?”
Ae Shin pauses before resorting back to her innocent persona, who knows of nothing but paintings. She asks what he does as an American envoy, but he cuts her off and asserts that he’s the one asking questions here. He then breaks the tension by dismissing Ae Shin and looks frustrated by this futile interrogation. Ae Shin leave in her carriage, Eugene asks his assistant Gwan Soo what her deal is: Why does everyone know her and coddle her? Gwan Soo explains that Ae Shin is the youngest granddaughter of the high-ranking Minister Go, so she’s a noblewoman. Minister Go, or Grandfather, was the king’s teacher and an uncorrupt government official. He even opens his home once a year during the famine to feed the people.
Remembering the past, the next day, Eugene went to the river to find the old ceramist. The innkeeper recognizes him, and behind her, Ae Shin follows. She looks startled and defensive that Eugene might be trailing her, but he makes a fair claim that she’s the one behind him. Eugene asks for a boatman to take him to the ceramist, but the innkeeper tells him that he’s unlikely to succeed in buying any porcelain since countless buyers have failed before him. As the innkeeper helps Ae Shin onto the boat, Eugene asks if the ceramist’s name is Hwang Eun San. The innkeeper seems shocked that Eugene is looking for porcelain without knowing the ceramist’s name, but Ae Shin comes to his defense and explains that Eugene didn’t even know who she was. She does him a favor and suggests that Eugene row the boat to their destination.
Eugene rows the boat along the river, and he promises to return the favor if he gets a chance. Ae Shin says that there will be a chance if he has the intention. He asks what business she has with the ceramist, and she asserts that the interrogation is over and that a foreigner should stay out of her business.
Hwang Eun San (the man who sent young Yoo Jin to the United States with the American) greets Ae Shin with familiarity and wonders who this westernized Joseon man is. Eugene smiles and speaks to Eun San with a tone of familiarity, which is unsettling for Eun San.
Ae Shin is visiting to send her regards from the gunman Seung Gu, who’s the son of Eun San’s best friend. Eugene smiles wider as he observes Eun San’s fussy personality, and he tells Eun San that nothing has changed. He asks to buy some porcelain and says that he won’t accept any of the cracked pieces. Fussy Eun San grumbles and retreats into his room.
Eugene walks towards the crates next to the kiln and thinks back to when he hid inside, holding his breath and silently crying in fear for his life. He rows back on the boat with Ae Shin, who’s received a pile of cracked bowls.
Ae Shin asks why he went to the ceramist, since it didn’t seem like he knew Eugene. But Eugene simply says that he knows him, and the ceramist has just forgotten their relationship. Eugene provides some unsolicited advice on the Russian gun being difficult to handle for someone with a small frame because of its strong rebound. He advises her to focus on handling the gun than her aim, since the Russian gun has higher accuracy than the German ones. He assumes that she has “no idea” what he’s talking about, and she confirms her ignorance on the matter.
Eugene notices the ornament on Ae Shin’s garment and asks how much it would have cost about thirty years ago. She estimates that it would have been equivalent to a bag of rice. Eugene stops rowing and thinks back to his mother’s direction to sell the ornament for no less than three bags of rice. He realizes now that his mother had no idea how much this ornament was worth.
Ae Shin asks why he’s stopped rowing, and he apologizes for his wandering thoughts. She asks what he was thinking about, and he refuses to answer since she hasn’t told him a single thing. Ae Shin reveals that she wears the ornament as a part of her disguise. She says that the newspapers call this time a romantic era, with the Joseon people enjoying the surge of imported Western luxuries. She admits that she’s no different, but her romanticism lies in the muzzle of the German gun. She asks, “Who knows? Maybe being discovered by you that night was a part of my romance.”
Eugene responds that her romance seems radical for the granddaughter of a high-ranking government official. She smiles wider and acknowledges this. She’s glad to know that a comrade is close by and offers her cracked bowls to him if he ever needs them.
The next day, Ae Shin visits a garment shop to order a pair of shoes for herself. The tailor asks when Hee Sung (played by Byun Yo Han), Ae Shin's fiance will return. Ae Shin doesn’t seem bothered by his absence. Suddenly, by coincidence, Eugene is also at the shop getting fitted for more suits. Once the tailor leaves the room, Eugene explains that he didn’t bring enough clothing for his stay in Joseon. Ae Shin assumes that means that he’s only staying for a short period, but he corrects her that he’s getting more clothes because he intends on staying longer. We see the slightest smile on Ae Shin’s face, and she compliments Eugene’s look. He doesn’t believe her compliment, and she comes back with a backhanded compliment that he looks like a hedgehog with his pinned up garment.
Ae Shin decides to ask a question, since he’s familiar with English. “What is ‘love’?” she asks. He asks why she’s curious, and Ae Shin says that she wants to “love,” as it’s considered better than public service. He answers vaguely that it depends on how you think about it, but you can’t do it alone — you need a partner. So naturally, Ae Shin asks Eugene to be her partner.
Eugene stares at her blankly, and Ae Shin wonders if his hesitance is because she’s a woman. She tries to make herself more eligible my sharing that she can even shoot a gun. Eugene says, “It’s harder than shooting a gun, more dangerous, and must burn hotter.” He asks why she’s proposing this partnership to him, and she simply says that it’s because he’s a comrade.
Eugene stares at her blankly, and Ae Shin wonders if his hesitance is because she’s a woman. She tries to make herself more eligible my sharing that she can even shoot a gun. Eugene says, “It’s harder than shooting a gun, more dangerous, and must burn hotter.” He asks why she’s proposing this partnership to him, and she simply says that it’s because he’s a comrade.
Eugene wonders why she thinks he’s a comrade, and she explains that they both know who the culprit in the assassination is and that he would have already captured her if he weren’t a comrade. He asks why she targeted Logan, and she responds with the same question at him. Eugene says that Logan diminished America’s dignity, and Ae Shin says that he also diminished Joseon’s dignity by framing Japan’s infiltration as modernization. Eugene pointedly asks if Joseon had any dignity to lose at all, and Ae Shin’s eyes falter. Disclosing his truth, Eugene admits that he never needed to catch the culprit — he just needed the circumstances of the assassination. He plans to close the investigation by framing the Righteous Army as the culprit because he’s already achieved his goal. Ae Shin looks betrayed, and understandably so.
One day, a gun went missing which actually Seung Gu, Ae Shin's Master stole it due to his curiosity with German gun, when there is confrontation between Ae Shin with the Japanese soldier on the train. Eugene was forced to investigate the missing gun. Gwan Soo informs Eugene that he called Ae Shin back to the embassy, since the passengers’ testimonies confirmed her presence there. Eugene shakes his head at Gwan Soo’s overzealous commitment to this investigation, since he was trying not to get Ae Shin involved.
Ae Shin claims her authoritative spot at Eugene’s desk once again, and he tries to explain that this was not his doing. He asks if Ae Shin saw anyone suspicious on the train, and this time she confirms that she did. She claims that she saw a suspicious person and couldn’t identify if the person was American or Joseon, enemy or ally, clearly talking about Eugene. She makes this pointed comment and asks if Eugene needs the culprit this time, and he senses that she knows who the culprit is.
Ae Shin insists that she doesn’t know who the gun thief is, and Eugene thinks that she’s an accomplice. She can’t tell if he’s trying to be of help or ruin this investigation, since his questions are somewhere along the spectrum of reproach and concern. She didn’t get an answer the first time so she asks again why Eugene didn’t just accuse her as the culprit to resolve the investigation.
Once again, Eugene doesn’t give her an answer, but he uses this opportunity to put aside his investigator act and ask with his true intentions. Regarding his rummaged room the other day, he asks if Ae Shin is on the side of those who searched his things. She asks if he’ll believe her if she says she doesn’t know, but he already assumes she does know and asks who ordered the search. Ae Shin is offended by his presumptuous investigation, but Eugene claims that he’s only trying to protect her. She asks why, and he responds, “Because I can.”
As a last part of his intentional interrogation, he shows her the sketch of the man that the passengers described and admits that his true intentions are probably rooted in jealousy. He asks if she’s familiar with the man and if he’s a noble. She acknowledges that he’s familiar, but she has no idea if he’s a noble. Eugene assumes that she’s taking sides, but she clarifies that this sketched man was the Japanese soldier who was harassing the Joseon people on the train.
At night, Eugene’s superior and good friend Kyle, finally came to Joseon. Eugene and Kyle sit outside and enjoy the view of the village at night. Kyle asks if Eugene found those nobles who killed his parents, and Eugene admits that he hasn’t looked for them yet. He figures that they’re doing well and vows to kill them if he ever sees them again. During such an unusual time in Joseon, the killing would not be anything out of the ordinary.
The next day, Eugene went to the pawn shop to ask for more information. Eugene knows that the two ownder were former slave hunters who was told to chase him and asks them to find someone for them. He names the people and puts down a twenty-dollar bill upfront, offering double the amount if they find who he’s looking for. The slave hunters wonders if Eugene plans on killing these people, and Eugene responds that he wouldn’t mind if these people were brought to him dead. Il Shik, one of the pawn owner says that nine out of ten people know who they are, and Eugene claims that he’s the one of ten who doesn’t know.
Il Shik continues that there was only one time that he lost a slave, and that one slave belonged to this family. The slave was a young boy around nine years old, and Choon Shik, the other slave hunter, interrupts the story to disclose that they didn’t actually lose the boy. Turns out, they had seen the boy’s clothes poking out of a crate, but Il Shik insisted that they ignore it. Il Shik admits that he was sitting on the crate that the boy was hiding in, and he could feel the box trembling. He pitied the boy who must have been so scared to make the box tremble that much. Eugene realizes that he was saved by these two men and thanks them belatedly, though to them it sounds like he’s just thanking them for the information. He asks for the location of this family and rides off to seek his revenge.
When Eugene arrives at the home, Ignobleman’s son (and Hee Sung’s father) looks at his curiously. His wife joins him, and they wonder who he is. He informs Eugene that Ignobleman passed away a decade ago due to illness, and Eugene notices the scar on the woman’s neck, which confirms their identities as his revenge targets.
At the ignoble residence, Eugene is also asked for his identity, but he remains silent. The wife notices his military uniform but notes that it’s not a Joseon uniform. Eugene silently walks up and offers his ornament to the wife as his form of identification. The wife takes the ornament, and after a brief moment, she recognizes it and collapses in fear. Trembling, she tells her husband that this is that runaway slave boy. Eugene seeks revenge on the family that killed his parents. Pointing the gun at Hee Sung’s father, Eugene demands to know where his parents were buried, but the nobleman admits that he has no idea because all slaves were buried together.
Eugene threatens to ruin the nobleman’s family if they don’t recover his parents’ bodies and tells them to notify the U.S. embassy if they do. The nobleman and his wife are confused why they would inform the U.S. embassy, so Eugene introduces himself as an American naval officer. Then he lowers his gun and walks out of the house.
Meanwhile, the nobleson, Hee Sung's finally back to Joseon. The first thing he did, is to take a glimpse of his fiance, Ae Shin. When he finally saw Ae Shin, he admires her beauty and expresses his regret in not returning sooner. But that doesn't even bother Ae Shin for the slightest bit because Hee Sung never come back even for once in the last 10 years. After that meeting, Ae Shin even consider to break the engagement off,
One day, Hee Sung delivers a love letter in flowery language and a carriage to bring Ae Shin to Glory Hotel, and Ae Shin looks offended by this supposed romantic gesture. At Glory Hotel, Ae Shin confronts Hee Sung about this offensive gesture of inviting her to this hotel, and Hee Sung explains that this is how courtship looks like in Tokyo. Ae Shin reminds him that they’re in Joseon, and she expresses her dissatisfaction with this engagement, candidly admitting that she’s searching for reasons to break it off. Hee Sung tells her to give up on that endeavor because he likes her.
But Ae Shin is out of patience. She admits that initially, she waited. After five years, Grandfather was worried, Aunt cursed at him, and A Shin was disappointed. She says that although they had never met, she embraced their families’ promise as her own. She accuses him, “What can a man protect if he can’t even fulfill a promise with a woman?” With this disappointment, she decided to forget him.
Hee Sung accepts Ae Shin’s resolve and proposes a compromise. They can cancel their marriage, and he can take the blame, but he proposes that they remain as friends. Eugene walks into the hotel and watches the two curiously. Ae Shin notices him and takes this opportunity to leave by telling Hee Sung that she’s been summoned by the U.S. embassy. She approaches Eugene and tells him to lead the way, and Eugene does as told. Hee Sung notes this awkward interaction.
Eugene leads Ae Shin through the town until she gives direction to veer left. They find a quiet spot to talk, and Eugene asks about her relationship with Hee Sung. He comments on how Ae Shin is regarded as a precious entity, so the two having conversation over coffee must have meant that they’re close. He asks if they’re comrades, and Ae Shin clarifies that they’re just friends, which makes Eugene wonder if a man and a woman can be just friends.
Ae Shin notices Eugene’s name embroidered on his hat and tries to show off the English she’s learned so far. But she can’t get past “E” because she’s only learned up to “F” in the alphabet. Eugene smiles in amusement, and Ae Shin tries to impress him by sharing the very long English phrase she learned at the school: “Where are you from?” she asks in English. This question triggers flashbacks for Eugene, from his youth and up to current day. He mumbles under his breath that everyone seems to ask that question.
Eugene asks if he’s done being used, and Ae Shin apologizes for that. She tells him that she’ll consider his debt repaid from when she allowed him to ride along in the boat. But Eugene has no intention of paying back his debt just yet and asserts that this time, Ae Shin is indebted to him. With that he walks off, back to the hotel.
With the case of gun missing has not solved yet, Eugene went to Ae Shin's hideout place. She’s not surprised by his presence but demands to know what he’s doing there. Eugene informs her that he’s starting to identify all people affiliated with guns as a part of his investigation, and Ae Shin points her gun at him, threatened by this potential investigation. She asks if he’s here to investigate her or Seung Gu, but Eugene claims that isn’t his intention. If it were, then he would have brought an army of American soldiers with him, he says.
He explains that first it was curiosity, then observation, and finally now he’s addressing it. When he first arrived in Joseon, he vowed not to do anything, because anything he did would only help to ruin Joseon. Ae Shin says that he’s already contributed to Joseon’s ruin, but he warns that he’s only done that. He should have initially captured her when he could, but his curiosity stopped him. He’s not sure if it’s because Joseon has changed or if Ae Shin is unusual, but he ultimately decided to turn a blind eye.
Now addressing the consequences of his inaction, Eugene tells Ae Shin to stay in her noblewoman persona for the time being because American soldiers are sure to visit next. Ae Shin lowers her gun and asks why he saved the Joseon children, and Eugene answers that he thought he could win. Ae Shin doesn’t believe him entirely and calls him out for flinching when she pointed her gun at him just now. He explains that then, he thought he would lose.
As Eugene starts to leave, Ae Shin asks which direction he’s headed. She says that she’ll also head that way, which is the same line Eugene used when he first suspected Ae Shin’s secret identity. So they walk side by side through the woods, with Ae Shin’s servants keeping a close eye on them from behind.
Eugene asks Ae Shin why she’s trying to save Joseon, and she stops and passionately responds, “Although Joseon is rough shape right now, it has endured 500 years of history through many wars. In every way, people risked their lives to protect this nation. That Joseon is peacefully being ripped apart, first by China, then Russia, and now Japan and even the U.S. Wouldn’t someone need to fight this struggling nation?”
Eugene asks why it needs to be Ae Shin fighting for Joseon, and she asks why not. Eugene pauses, with his eyes welling with emotion, and Ae Shin tells him that he need not worry. He claims that he’s not worried about her; rather, he’s worried about himself.
The next day, Ae Shin told Seung Gu about the gun missing investigation and Seung Gu hands her the stolen gun and tells her to return it to the U.S. embassy, since they’re not thieves. Ae Shin is so shocked that she falls out of the door before quickly collecting herself. She asks why this is an “us” situation when Seung Gu stole this gun on his own, and Seung Gu reminds her that she’s always on his side.
Eugene arrives at Glory Hotel, he finds Dong Mae (played by Yoo Yeon Seok), the Black Dragon Society leader in the lobby and asks if they were waiting for him. Eugene offers to let them into his room if they’ve decided to search his room today. Their conversation is cut short by Hee Sung, who happily greets Eugene and introduces himself to Dong Mae. Hina (played by Kim Min Jung) watches the trio and adds that Hee Sung is Ae Shin’s fiancé. At that epithet, both Eugene and Dong Mae’s gazes sharpen, and they get on the defensive. Hee Sung mentions that he’s noticed Eugene summoning Ae Shin to the embassy and asks what’s going on. At that comment, Dong Mae’s eyes shift to his new prey.
Hina notices that Eugene and Dong Mae are reaching for their weapons, and she asks them to take it outside if they wish to use them. Both of them pull their hands away from their weapons, and Hee Sung suggests that they all have a drink together. Eugene rejects the offer, and Dong Mae also rejects it, saying that he may kill one or two people if he has a drink that night.
As both Eugene and Dong Mae leave, Hee Sung comments to Hina about the two men’s oscillating emotions. Hina predicts that someone will end up heartbroken, and they can only hope that neither of them will be that person. Hee Sung agrees and curiously asks where Hina fits in. Hina keeps it a mystery and smiles. In his room, Eugene thinks back to Ae Shin explaining her relationship with Hee Sung. She’d claimed that they were friends, and Eugene scoffs at her lie.
Ae Shin in all black running along rooftops in attempts to return the stolen gun. She analyzes the various different entrances and makes her way to the most inconspicuous part of the embassy. As she sneaks through the quarters, she runs into two soldiers and quickly knocks them unconscious. She apologizes for hitting them too hard before quickly making her way to Eugene’s office to drop off the gun.
The soldiers realize that an intruder is among them and quickly search through the buildings to find Ae Shin, but she’s already on her way out. She jumps over the wall and lands safely outside the embassy, or so she thinks. The young embassy-loitering boy, Domi, (who Eugene saved from the Japanese soldiers) points to disguised Ae Shin and explains to Eugene that this is exactly how he scales the wall. She’s been caught red-handed!
Ae Shin freezes in place, and Eugene congratulates the boy for being hired by the embassy. He tells the boy to forget what just happened, and the boy happily agrees before running off. Eugene crouches down next to Ae Shin and tries to look into her eyes, but she hides behind her hat. So Eugene pulls her face mask away, and Ae Shin raises her voice, fearful that she’ll be further exposed.
Eugene shushes her and pulls her up to walk beside him naturally until they get far enough. As they walk, Eugene asks about her fiancé, who she previously described as a friend. He asks if she’s getting married, and Ae Shin changes the topic by saying that they’ve walked far enough from the embassy. But Eugene repeats the question and says that he’s asking out of genuine curiosity. Ae Shin ignores his question again and says that she should head home soon.
Ae Shin says that she’s indebted to him once again and tries to leave, but Eugene steps in her way and offers to walk her home, since she’ll be safer with him. She says that she’ll stand out with him, but that’s the exact reason he’s offering to accompany her. He says, “The safest place in Joseon is by my side because I’m the one who stands out.”
As they walk side by side, Eugene narrates his letter to Joseph: “Dear Joseph, I worry about the cold weather where you are in Hamgyeong. I hope you are well. All my days in Joseon are peaceful.” While walking, Ae Shin asks him if he’s still considering her offer to be her partner in that thing called “love.” He stares at Ae Shin silently and continues to narrate: “My days are not peaceful. How is it that I want to respond to her?”
Ae Shin doesn’t seem bothered by his lack of response and thanks him for walking alongside her because this is a moment that she’ll never be able to relive as a noblewoman. She stops and says that she’ll continue on alone. Eugene narrates: “I almost caught her and told her not to leave, so that we could walk further, side by side.” Ae Shin heads on her way, and Eugene watches her leave with her mask in his hand.
In his hotel room, Eugene continues to write his letter: “I don’t even know where ‘there’ is in Joseon, but I keep going further away to ‘there.’ When do you come to Hanseong? I miss you.” Eugene signs off the letter and in voiceover, he admits that he probably won’t send this letter because it feels like a confession.
The next morning, Eugene finds the stolen gun on his desk and checks its function. He finds all the bullets in place, but the trigger is missing a piece that disables it from firing a bullet. We see that the small missing piece is on the ground at a metal shop belonging to Seung Gu’s friend.
That night, Eugene asks if Kyle has any more information on Logan Taylor, the American man who was assassinated for tarnishing America’s reputation. Eugene mentions that the Japanese are watching Logan’s family, and he suspects that Logan was involved in some secret exchange. Kyle finds this potential investigation dangerous and warns Eugene to stay out of it.
As Eugene leaves the embassy, he finds Domi’s older sister waiting at the entrance. He invites her inside and asks her what she’s holding. It’s the old swaddle for Logan Taylor’s baby, and she says that Mrs. Taylor threw it out to get a new one. She says that she coincidentally found out that Logan hid important documents in the swaddle after sewing up the cloth on multiple occasions. She rips open the swaddle and hands Eugene an envelope, which reads “Banque Russo-Asiatique.” This is the evidence of the slush fund that everyone has been looking for, special Black Dragon Society which is lead by Gu Dong Mae (played by Yoo Yeon Seok), a butcher's son who ran away to Japan and came back to Joseon and becomes the mafia group.
Eugene opens up the envelope and reads the document, which exposes King Gojong as the owner of the deposit. The girl asks if this document is worth a lot of money, and Eugene confirms this. The girl happily offers this document to Eugene as payment for saving the siblings’ lives, but Eugene seems more worried that this document could get him killed. He says ominously that the fate of Joseon could be in his hands.
Eugene picks at his food as he thinks about Dong Mae’s threat to kill whoever holds the document. Hina checks up on his meal, and Eugene takes that opportunity to ask about Dong Mae. She asks where to start, since Dong Mae has such a complicated story, and Eugene asks her to start with the Mushin Society.
Hee Sung invites himself to this story time and Eugene excuses himself and says he’ll listen to the story another time, but they’re interrupted by a servant who has come to escort Hee Sung. Eugene recognizes this servant as the one accompanying Hee Sung’s father, and he comes to a sudden realization.
Eugene confirms Hee Sung’s birth year and the name of Hee Sung’s father. Hee Sung is all smiles until he notices the change of expression on Eugene’s face. His smile fades, and he tells Eugene that he’s used to people holding grudges against his family. He asks if it was his father or his grandfather who wronged him, but Eugene stays silent, brimming with anger.
The next day, Eugene waits at the ceramist Eun San’s home and thinks about his new enemy, Hee Sung. Ae Shin approaches the home and asks the apprentice to set her up with the usual haul of broken ceramic. She notices Eugene there and greets him, saying that it’s nice to see him in the daylight.
Eugene walks towards her with thoughts racing through his mind. He compares his miserable past as a slave with Ae Shin’s comfortable life as a noble. He thinks about Hee Sung and his vow to destroy the family that killed his parents. He asks Ae Shin if her offer about love still stands, and agrees to be her partner in love. Then, he takes a step forward. Ae Shin is satisfied with his response.
She asks what they do first, and Eugene instructs her to introduce herself. She follows his instructions and says that she’s already familiar with her partner, Eugene Choi. But Eugene corrects her and introduces himself as Choi Yoo Jin, pronouncing his last name as the familiar Joseon surname. Ae Shin nods in understanding of this subtle difference and admits that she has plenty yet to learn.
Eugene reaches out his hand to offer a handshake and explains the gesture as one signifying that you have no weapons or intent to hurt the other person. Ae Shin gladly takes his hand and says that “love” is easier than she expected. She then asks when to let go of his hand, and Eugene responds that she can let go when she wishes to hold a weapon against him. *Why I can suspect there will be sad endings here?!*
Ae Shin notices the ceramist’s apprentice approaching with her items, and she excuses herself first. She rides in the boat with the innkeeper and glances at her hand, thinking back to the handshake. The innkeeper returns to retrieve Eugene, and he also looks at his hand, reliving the moment.
Late at night, Ae Shin practices her English and gets distracted with Eugene’s name, which she spells and repeats. At the English school, Ae Shin and her classmates sing along to the alphabet song. Afterwards, her friend tests her on the letters she’s learned so far. Ae-shin proudly zips through the letter and word associations for letters ‘A’ through ‘F’ (A is for apple, B is for boy… ). But at ‘E,’ she says: “E is for Eugene.”
Her friend stops her to repeat the word association for the letter ‘E,’ and it takes Ae Shin a moment to correct herself: E is for English. Next, her friend teaches her the letter ‘L’ and says that everyone at the school likes this letter because it stands for “love.” Ae Shin looks eager to learn and confirms that this “love” is the thing that is more difficult, more dangerous, and burns hotter than shooting a gun.
Her friend seems jealous that Ae Shin can exchange love with her fiancé, but Ae Shin flatly denies this. She admits that she’s agreed to “love” with someone else and says that it’s easier than she thought. Her friend freaks out and says that’s not allowed. She finally explains what love means, and Ae Shin yells in shock. She grasps the letter card in her hand and screams once more.
Mortified by her misunderstanding, Ae Shin lies down in her room and thinks about her conversations with Eugene regarding “love.” She comes to the conclusion that Eugene was trying to ruin her, and she sends off her servant to surreptitiously deliver a letter to the U.S. embassy.
The servant tries his best, but he gets caught by American soldiers while clumsily trying to hop over the wall. He gets brought to Eugene, and he delivers the letter from Ae Shin. The servant then takes out this sickle and threatens Eugene to keep this a secret lest he feel the wrath of the sickle. Eugene doesn’t seem threatened at all but plays along.
Eugene opens the letter and stares at it intently, but little Domi points out that he’s holding the letter backwards. The cheeky boy says that they now share another secret, and embarrassed Eugene tries to cover up his illiteracy by clarifying the difference between choosing not to read versus not being able to read. Eugene realizes his futile explanation and Domi gratefully leaves before Eugene embarrasses himself even further.
Eugene opens the letter and stares at it intently, but little Domi points out that he’s holding the letter backwards. The cheeky boy says that they now share another secret, and embarrassed Eugene tries to cover up his illiteracy by clarifying the difference between choosing not to read versus not being able to read. Eugene realizes his futile explanation and Domi gratefully leaves before Eugene embarrasses himself even further.
She reveals that she saw an envelope in Eugene’s room with English writing. She didn’t open the envelope to make sure it wasn’t moved from its original location, but that’s enough to plant suspicion in Dong Mae’s head. Dong Mae hopes that it’s the document he’s looking for because he doesn’t want to make a certain woman cry.
Dong Mae shows up at Eugene’s door and announces that today is the day of their search. The gang scours through Eugene’s room, and Eugene asks Dong Mae if he’s also searching Hee Sung’s room, trying to figure out if this is for work or due to a grudge. Dong Mae finds no difference, since both his work and his grudges involve a sword.
Yujo presents an envelope to Dong Mae with Eugene’s name on it. Eugene says that it’s a personal letter that he hasn’t (not can’t, he insists) read. So Dong Mae offers to read it to him, and his smile drops when he realizes that it’s written in Korean. He reads Ae Shin’s letter, which asks him to respond immediately upon reading the letter so that they can discuss a change in their arrangement.
Dong Mae seems disappointed by this personal letter, but Eugene looks relieved that someone read it to him. Referring to the letter’s contents, Dong Mae says that a change can lead to misfortune and avoidance can lead to bloodshed.
Dong Mae warns him to beware since he seems to be a wanted man and threatens to kill him if he has anything remotely close to a letter in his possession again. As Dong Mae and his gang retreat, Kyle arrives and asks if Eugene has been hurt. But Eugene just stands there, flabbergasted that Dong Mae can read Korean.
That night, as Eugene tries to read Ae Shin’s letter, he’s attacked from behind by none other than Ae Shin. She’s dressed in her all-black shooter outfit, and she orders Eugene to meet her at the medicine shop near the area where they first met. She runs off over the embassy wall, and we see that Eugene dropped the letter and a basic Korean language book.
When they meet, Ae Shin demands to know why Eugene hasn’t responded, and he tries to explain that he has yet to read the letter. Ae Shin thinks this is all a cheap excuse, and Eugene infers that Ae Shin discovered the translation of “love.” Proud Ae Shin claims that she knew the meaning of the word all along and that she’s just there to warn him that she may kill him. Eugene is amused by her reaction and says that she was the one who made the initial offer.
Ae Shin takes offense to Eugene’s light nature and grabs his gun. She points it at him and cocks it properly, despite not knowing how to use it. Eugene looks surprised and raises his hands in surrender, suggesting that they use words. Still pointing her gun, Ae Shin asks why he chose to “love” when he previously admitted that he wouldn’t do anything in Joseon, and if he did, it would be to ruin Joseon.
Eugene clarifies that his action wasn’t intended to ruin Joseon but a person. But he admits that he realizes now that this was path to ruin himself. She asks why he did this, and he says that he doesn’t know if it was revenge or jealousy. She asks him to elaborate on this revenge, but Eugene wonders if she’s not curious about the jealousy. She says that she interpreted that as a confession, which he’s already done multiple times. She’s caught on to his admiration and admits that she’s also subtly confessed to him herself. Eugene seems betrayed that seemingly innocent Ae Shin detected his admiration all along and tries to leave to collect his thoughts, but he can’t budge under Ae Shin’s watch and under the point of the gun.
The sound of gunshots interrupts the argument between Ae Shin and Eugene. They peer out of the shop and notice the scene outside. Ae Shin recognizes the woman as the one who opened the window at the Japanese restaurant for a clear shot at Logan Taylor, and of course, she recognizes the man as the arrogant soldier who pointed his gun at her on the train.
Ae Shin tells Eugene that she’ll be borrowing his gun, and he tries to stop her from intervening, since she’ll be in danger. But she insists that she’s always been in danger, and she must go to save this woman because one day, that woman could be her. Eugene drops his case and informs her that the gun only has five bullets. Ae Shin confidently says that she only needs two.
Ae Shin heads outside and uses her first bullet to shoot the street lamp on her side. Once she’s hidden in the darkness, she aims at Japanese soldier and shoots his hand. He lets go of the Joseon woman and falls to the ground, screaming in pain. The woman runs away, and enraged Japanese soldier begins to shoot randomly into the void, cursing at the person who shot him. Ae Shin points the gun at him once again, but Eugene takes the gun from behind and approaches the volatile soldier, who continues to shoot randomly everywhere.
In his last step in darkness, Eugene shoots his own hand with his gun and then steps into the light. Baldy points his gun at Eugene, but he’s out of bullets. He demands to know who shot him, and Eugene says that’s not important because just now he just shot an American soldier.
Ae Shin watches from the protection of darkness as the Joseon army gathers around the two rival soldiers. Ae Shin sits in her room, engrossed in the thought of Eugene claiming that he ruined himself and shooting his own hand. Meanwhile, Eugene sits in a jail cell quietly in thought.
The Japanese server and disguised Joseon woman reports to Seung Gu and Eun San (the ceramist) about the incident, and about Ae Shin and Eugene saving her. Since she’s no longer safe working in Joseon, they plan on sending her to Shanghai, and the innkeeper provides her with money to settle there.
The next morning after King's order, Eugene was released. Eugene unfolds a piece of paper hidden in his bible and thinks back to his exchange with the pawnshop duo. He had asked them to hold the bank document, and he looks at the receipt of the exchange before slipping it back into hiding.
Ae Shin visits the medicine shop and makes eye contact with the owner, who shakes her head. She must be waiting for Eugene to make a visit, but he hasn’t shown up yet.
At the hotel, Hee Sung notices Eugene arriving and asks if he was the soldier involved in the Japanese soldier case. Eugene seems annoyed and tired, but he turns around at Hee Sung’s comment that Eugene seems to be busy making appearances everywhere. Eugene notes that he’s finally seeing Hee Sung’s unsmiling face, which makes him look like a nobleman’s son.
Dong Mae listens in on this tense conversation and joins the two. He wonders if his words became seeds for reality: change leads to misfortune and avoidance leads to bloodshed. Dong Mae wonders if next time, he should just tell Eugene to die instead of taking care, since it could once again become seeds for reality.
Eugene feels like he’s being ganged up on, and Dong Mae vaguely explains that he feels like he’s been cut in line, even though he’s never had anything to begin with. He Sung glances at him with a surprised look as Dong Mae continues with a warning to Eugene to just linger around as the American soldier and do no more. Dong Mae no longer cares about what document he holds because he already holds something too great.
Hee Sung intervenes and says that he’s grasped why they’re so angry. He asks if the person by their side is the same person by his side. This person isn’t here now, but she’s been with them from the beginning. That person is Ae Shin. Hee Sung tells the two men that this person had better not be his fiancée, because he doesn’t want to have to hold any bad intentions. At least not yet, he says.
Eugene labels this newly revealed side of Hee Sung “the nobleman’s son,” and Hee Sung asks if that bothers him. Eugene responds that he hopes that Hee Sung remains as his neighbor, Room 303. He warns Hee Sung not to put Ae Shin between them or speak of patience again because he may not end with just a warning next time. As Eugene turns away, Hee Sung says that Eugene revealed his response only after putting Ae Shin between them. Eugene demands to know what he revealed, and Hee Sung clarifies that Eugene’s claim about patience implied that he’s tolerating something.
Hee Sung asks why Eugene is tracking down slaves who served his family thirty years ago, and Eugene admits that he’s not eager about this search, as it’s tied to his painful past. Eugene says that Hee Sung was there that day too, in his mother’s womb, when Hee Sung’s grandfather declared to nine-year-old Yoo-jin that a parents’ sins are also the child’s sins. Eugene quotes Hee Sung’s grandfather and associates Hee Sung with his family’s sins, and he warns Hee Sung not to get in the way between him and his parents, lest he be tempted to find sins against Hee Sung.
Before Eugene leaves, he turns back around to tell Hee Sung that he can complain about a painful splinter under his fingernail, but he can’t talk about pain in front of someone whose heart has been ripped out — that’s a matter of shame. Eugene walks into the hotel, and Hee Sung’s face crumbles.
Ae Shin practices her shooting and thinks about Eugene — him shooting himself with the gun and passing by her carriage slowly after being released from jail. She returns to the hideout, where her teacher Seung-gu comments that the sporadic sounds of her shooting indicated that she may be distracted by her thoughts. Ae-shin admits that she couldn’t focus and asks about the woman she saved.
Seung Gu gently scolds Ae Shin for her audacity to face their enemy head-on. Both her and Eugene risked revealing her identity, but Ae Shin says that there was no other way. To her relief, Seung Gu reports that the woman, So Ah, is alive and that she thanks Ae Shin for saving her life. Seung Gu tells her to forget this woman and her name, as all members of the Righteous Army are nameless, faceless, and just live as soldiers. If Joseon survives, being remembered as “soldiers” is enough, he says.
Grandfather meets with Seung Gu, who reluctantly asks for money to buy a secret ticket for So Ah to escape to Shanghai. Grandfather asks Seung Gu how long he’s been teaching Ae Shin, and Seung Gu responds that it’s been about ten years now. Worried about Ae Shin’s safety, Grandfather asks if she’s equipped to protect herself, and Seung Gu assures him that Ae Shin can protect herself better than most men.
Grandfather knows that Ae Shin’s shooting skills aren’t just being used to protect herself and wonders how else she’s being utilized. He recalls that he funded the Righteous Army when Sang Hwa (his son and Ae Shin’s father) went to Japan, but that money ultimately contributed to his son’s death. He knows that he can’t prevent everything, but he requests that even if Ae-shin is utilized, to utilize her less often and in secret. With that, Grandfather offers Seung Gu the money to save lives that need saving.
Before Seung Gu leaves, Ae Shin offers to pack him some food, or in other words, she asks to talk. She says that she heard his conversation with Grandfather and requests that she help So Ah get to safety. She saved So Ah and wants to see this through. Seung Gu honors Ae Shin’s wishes and wonders where she gets her audacity and willingness to risk her life.
The king meets with Eugene, and as Hina recommended, they converse via the translator. King Gojong expresses his delight and appreciation for Eugene returning to the motherland and saving the Joseon woman. He asks Eugene for any advice regarding Joseon-America relations, but Eugene doesn’t offer any. Eugene clarifies that he’s a solider — not a politician — and that his loyalties lie with the U.S. He further claims that he simply saved the woman’s life, not because she was a Joseon woman. He says that he can’t offer any advice that would benefit Joseon.
The translator mistranslates Eugene’s message by saying that Joseon should accept help from powerful countries, including Japan, but Eugene doesn’t correct the translator. At the translator’s words, the king’s face falls with disappointment. The minister excuses the translator, for he knows that Eugene can speak Korean. The translator’s eyes widen in shock, and he runs off, implying that the translator intentionally mistranslated the message.
The king asks Eugene where he’s from, and Eugene says that he doesn’t know. Assuming that Eugene is being disrespectful, the minister scolds him and urges him to tell the truth. Eugene clarifies that his parents were slaves, so they adopted the surname of his father’s first owner, as is custom.
Realizing his mistake, the minister mentions the upcoming event for the elderly ministers and ushers Eugene out. Once he leaves, the minister apologizes to the king for not thoroughly checking Eugene’s background. The king says that Eugene’s cold demeanor indicated that he wouldn’t have shared anything beneficial regardless, and he looks thoroughly disappointed. As Eugene leaves, he takes a look at his pawnshop receipt for the king’s banknote.
When Eugene returns to the embassy, he finds Kyle typing away on his typewriter. Eugene jokes that he’s finally writing that poem, and Kyle says that it’s actually an essay suggesting that the two of them go on an adventure before the ambassador returns. Eugene offers the next line in that essay: “No.”
Kyle mentions that he found a black mask in Eugene’s office, and Eugene says that it belongs to a woman. Kyle teases Eugene that he must have let a woman into his room, but Eugene responds in Korean that he let someone into his heart. Unfortunately for Eugene, Kyle understands the word maeum or “heart” in Korean, and he teases Eugene that he knows about that this is about the noblewoman. Eugene grumbles at everyone around him being such a quick study at languages.
Eugene invites Kyle for tea and shows him the pawnshop receipt for the banknote. At this point, everyone is looking for this banknote to take control of Joseon, even the U.S. ambassador. Kyle says that this banknote holds Joseon’s money rights, ginseng distribution rights, and the railroad concessions, so the U.S. ambassador can take control of one of these things if the banknote is relayed to him.
Eugene isn’t sure what to do and says that there are two options: leading Joseon to its demise or delaying this. Kyle disagrees and says that the U.S. needs to stop meddling in Joseon. Besides, the U.S. will take control of the Philippines and not have a stake in who takes control of Joseon, he says. Kyle says that the banknote should be returned to Joseon, since it belongs to them.
This comes as a surprise to Eugene, and he says that this is an odd thing for an American to say. Kyle says that these words come from a poet (not an American) and explicitly repeats what he implied, saying, “Eugene, don’t become a dangerous man.” Kyle says that he hopes that the last line of his poem reads that being deployed overseas was like a picnic. He leaves Eugene with those words, and Eugene thinks about the royal translator’s mistranslation and the minister’s flustered reaction to Eugene being of a son of slaves.
Eugene finds the minister at his home and seems a bit surprised to see him in humble clothing chopping wood. Eugene tells the minister that the translator lied and manipulated the translation to favor Japan. The minister asks why Eugene is disclosing this now, and Eugene admits that he had a change of heart.
The minister expresses doubt about Eugene’s confession, saying that he doesn’t quite trust the former slave who fled to the U.S. in his youth. Eugene says that it’s up to the minister, but his reason for meeting the minister came from a place that was more difficult, more dangerous, and burned hotter than shooting a gun. Though now, Eugene realizes this may have been a misstep.
The next day, the day when So Ah has to escape to Shanghai, Seung Gu arrives at the U.S. embassy. When Seung Gu meets with Eugene, he claims that he’s here to get repaid for the alcohol Eugene used when they met previously at the graves. Eugene realizes that this is Gunner Jang, and he asks if the geisha is safe and if he’s the leader. Seung Gu plays dumb, and Eugene says that he just took a shot in the dark.
Seung Gu asks why Eugene is hanging around Ae Shin, and Eugene plays dumb by saying that the person he was with was a man, not Ae Shin. Seung Gu realizes that Eugene knows Ae Shin’s secret and quickly grabs the gun by Eugene’s desk. Aiming the gun at Eugene, Seung Gu asks why he saved the geisha. Eugene comments that Seung Gu’s student is just like her teacher.
Seung Gu cocks the gun, but Eugene informs him that it won’t work because the spring isn’t installed. Eugene shows him the missing piece, and Seung Gu realizes that this must be the gun that his mechanic friend disassembled. Seung Gu puts down the gun, and Eugene mentions how all the men around Ae Shin try to kill him despite the fact that he’s only done anything to help.
Still mistrustful of the Americans, Seung Gu suspects that Eugene has ulterior motives for helping them. He doesn’t trust Eugene, who may look like a Joseon person but is an American soldier nonetheless. Eugene tells him to just take his money and leave, and Seung Gu warns that he’s asking for quite a sum.
Dong Mae and his gang walk through the train cars on their way to Jemulpo, scanning the fearful passengers for anyone suspicious. It’s last call for boarding, but their target is nowhere in sight. Dong Mae looks to the ticket dealer, who looks just as confused not to find his customer. Dong Mae notices that the merchants they scanned on the train haven’t boarded the ship, and he quickly realizes that he’s been misled. He found it suspicious that the information provided was too accurate and too easy.
As Dong Mae calls his gang to head towards the train, a gunshot from behind them distracts the gang from their mission. Yujo leads the gang towards the man who shot the gun, and more gunners shoot at them from all sides. Dong Mae yells that this is just a distraction to delay them from catching the train, and as he’s about to turn, a bullet nearly hits him from above. He turns to its source, and the gunner quickly hides on the rooftop. It’s Ae Shin.
Dong Mae yells at his gang in frustration and realizes that he needs to call Hanseong to inform them of this mistake. He runs toward the telephone building, and Ae Shin follows him from above. She aims her gun at the telephone and hits her target just as Dong Mae runs into the building. The phone is fried, and Dong Mae looks out the broken window to see a black-clothed figure running away on the rooftops.
Eugene currently looks at the donkeys carrying a fleet of luggage, and he thinks back to his agreement with Seung Gu. In a flashback to Eugene’s office, Seung Gu explains that the woman is not yet safe. They’ve spread the false information about the geisha fleeing Joseon via ship, and the Righteous Army plans to hold up the captors at the port so that she can escape via the 1:00 train. Fortunately, the train only runs twice a day, so the captors will lose her.
Eugene asked Seung Gu why he was divulging all of this information, and Seung Gu reasoned that Eugene shot his arm to save this woman, so he can finish his work. Seung Gu requested that Eugene help from the American side and let the woman pass the checkpoints smoothly without a search. Eugene corrects Seung Gu, claiming that the woman he saved was Ae Shin, not the geisha. Although Eugene complained about having to repay such a big debt for alcohol, he didn’t refuse the request.
To cover up this mission, Eugene recruited Kyle to go on their adventure. As they prepared for their personal trip, Gwan Soo told Eugene that he’d been doing some thinking. Eugene laughed worriedly because every time Gwan Soo did some thinking, it had always gone against Eugene’s initial plans. Gwan Soo connected the dots that Kyle’s random trip with a stranger was timed perfectly with when the streets are bustling with searches, so Kyle must be trying to help this stranger.
Eugene looked tentative in response to Gwan Soo’s perfect deduction, but this time, Gwan Soo made a supportive suggestion. He offered to accompany Kyle because this is his job as a Joseon person. He seemed to know the implications of their journey and was willing to support the Joseon cause.
Back to the fleet-carrying donkeys, the geisha So Ah, now disguised as a man, thanks Eugene for his help. She apologizes for searching his room, which happened because So Ah expressed doubts about him. She asks why he’s helping her now, and Eugene says that he’s decided to go with delaying the demise of Joseon. Kyle passes by on his horse and assures Eugene not to worry. He shares the next line of his poem: “Let’s go!”
Ae Shin runs along the rooftops and hears the train whistle as it departs. She barely takes a moment to find relief when a bullet shoots near her. She shoots back and hits her target, and she continues to flee. Right at her tail, Dong-mae collects the gun from the man she shot and chases after her. He climbs onto the rooftop and aims his gun at the cloaked figure. As he concentrates on his target, he slowly recognizes the eyes of this cloaked figure.
Suspecting that his target may be Ae Shin, Dong Mae struggles to pull the trigger of the gun. He’s got a clear shot, but he chooses to aim slightly off and hits her leg as she leaps between rooftops. Ae Shin crashes down to the ground mid-sprint, and she winces in pain from the impact of her injury and fall. Dong Mae runs to the site of Ae Shin’s fall, but she’s escaped the scene, leaving only a small pool of blood. Yujo catches up to Dong Mae and reports that they’ve missed the train, so Dong Mae orders his gang to return to Hanseong and head north to Shanghai. He plans to stay behind to confirm a suspicion.
Kyle and his entourage near the Hanseong exit gate, where Joseon soldiers execute their searches. Gwan Soo announces Kyle’s title and explains that the servant in the back (So Ah in disguise) is also a part of Kyle’s party. The Joseon solider approaches So Ah suspiciously, but Kyle jumps off his horse to express frustration that an American solider is being held up for a search. The Joseon solider defers to Kyle’s authority and lets them pass through without a search.
Injured Ae Shin breathes heavily in pain as her maids tend to her wound. The bullet left a large enough wound that they need to stitch up her leg, and Ae Shin’s loyal maid volunteers to do it. Afterward, they burn the blood-covered clothes to cover up any traces of Ae Shin’s injury.
Kyle and Gwan Soo successfully escort So Ah to the docks and wish her luck in her journey, and Kyle gives her his hat. She rides away in a boat through the night, and both Kyle and Gwan Soo look relieved.
Dong Mae sits on the train tracks at the station and repeats the mantra: “Don’t come.” He desperately hopes for Ae Shin not to show up, but his wishes don’t come true. Ae Shin and her servants arrive at the train station, and Dong Mae says that it’s quite a coincidence that she’s here this morning.
Ae Shin explains that she’s coming back from the temple, hence the mourning garments. When she tries to pass by, Dong Mae stands in her way. She orders him to move out of her way before she kills him, and Dong Mae scoffs, saying that he would be faster at that. Ae-shin doubts him and asserts, “Is that so? Even though I could [kill you], I don’t think you could [kill me].”
Ae Shin looks at him with a fierce look, and Dong Mae remains silent, looking exposed by her words. She passes by him followed by her servants, and Dong Mae stands on the tracks, utterly crushed by Ae Shin’s words. He says, “I told you not to come, but you came anyway and even knew… that.”
In the train, Ae Shin hides in a carriage and winces as she ties a cloth around her bleeding leg. It took all her strength to walk normally in front of Dong Mae. Having escaped his gaze, she crumbles in pain, out of plain sight.
Hee Sung came to tailor shop and the tailor told Hee Sung that Ae Shin has been consistently made a suit with small size every year (for herself). Hee Sung stands outside the tailor’s shop, pondering what Ae Shin’s suits were used for. Meanwhile, her other two admirers run into each other at the mechanic’s shop. Eugene waits to pick up his fixed music box, and Dong Mae stops by to fix his sword. He tells Eugene that it was his sword against guns, and since he can’t wield a gun as well, he only managed to hit his enemy in the leg. Eugene tenses up at this news, and Dong Mae requests that Eugene inform him if he notices anyone limping.
Later that night, Ae Shin visits the medicine shop. Once she’s fully inside, she allows herself to limp through the shop, and she stops when she notices another figure there. It’s Eugene, and her eyes light up at the sight of him. They’re both glad to see each other and ask the other about their injuries.
Eugene says that Dong Mae was looking for a man limping from a gunshot injury, and he asks if that person is Ae Shin. She jokes that she did get shot in the leg, though she’s not a man. Ae Shin asks that he keep this a secret, and Eugene says that she’s indebted to him once again. Ae Shin proposes that they call it even now, this secret in exchange for that time she let him onto the boat to see the ceramist.
He jokes that he regrets being indebted for the boat ride, since he rowed the boat himself. She says that it’s too late for regrets and admits that love is harder than she thought. She apologizes to Eugene, for everything he’s endured for her. Eugene says that they can give it up if it’s too difficult, but Ae Shin refuses. She says, “Since we can give it up anytime, let’s not today. Today, let’s continue walking this path.”
Ae Shin asks what the next step is after introductions and a handshake. Eugene says that they probably can’t do it because the next step is “hug.” Before he can continue, Ae Shin runs to hug him. She tells him that she already learned “H” in the alphabet, and they stand quietly in a gentle embrace.
The plot finally thickens, and the relationships in our love pentagon get a little more complicated. As Eugene discovers more about his parents’ deaths, he finds more enemies and struggles to reconcile his painful memories with the nation that exploited his family. He recognized the nobleman who stays next door, Hee Sung, is the grandson of someone who destroys his family. He also becomes more aware of his relationship with Ae Shin, the intriguing noblewoman who challenges his perceptions of class and loyalty.
I’m really enjoying Ae Shin’s character, as the stubborn and fearless girl who won’t back down in a fight. She’s not quite impulsive, but she’s never willing to let someone look down on her. It’s due to her personality as a headstrong and proud person, but that partly seems to originate from her social nobility. I like this interesting duality of Ae Shin’s character. She seems to think that her noblewoman look is mainly a disguise, but it’s deeply a part of her identity. I love that her innocence is always her go-to excuse, and it’s funny to see people believe it so fully that they feel the need to protect her from all evil. But I think that innocence she uses to disguise herself isn’t always fake. Her naivete about the world, “love,” and loyalty stems from her lived experience as a noblewoman, and I think that may be a reoccurring flaw that others target as we continue through the series. But this also instills her with a sense of idealism and pride, which will surely be the heart of the movement to protect Joseon.
What I like more about Ae Shin is that she continues to fight for what she believes in, forcing those around her to choose if they’ll fight with her or against her. It’s not a simple decision, choosing which side you’d risk your life for, but that’s the deal when you admire someone so earnest in her beliefs. I think Grandfather and Seung Gu (her Master) are well aware of Ae Shin’s potential in the movement, and they might be the only ones keeping her back from going rogue.
Not that she hasn’t gone rogue already — she was a complete savage in her confrontation with Dong Mae. How could you crush Dong Mae like that! He was completely defeated, and she totally knew what she was doing. He’s got the cruelest fate of them all, and those puppy eyes aren’t helping me hate you. Not that I wanted to hate you in the first place, Yoo Yeon Seok.
Meanwhile, I wasn’t very keen on the idea of three love interests for Ae Shin, I actually don’t mind it too much because I believe Ae Shin will still be very open and honest about her feelings only for Eugene. But those two angsty second lead is somehow so pitiful, one is cursed with the sins of his forefathers, Hee Sung, and another is cursed with a forbidden love (someone who supports Japan colony)
It’s only a matter of time until Hee Sung puts together the pieces to figure out Ae Shin’s secret, and I can’t wait because so far, the reveal of Ae Shin’s secret has only brought out the best in these dudes. With all the action building up, it’s nice that these two still have a nice rapport and find some solace in each other. While their intentions don’t completely align just yet, Eugene is slowly but surely taking steps to side with saving Joseon, and we know that makes him the leader in this admirers’ competition.
I am sure I could not imagine anyone else can portray Eugene Choi as much as how Lee Byung Hun does it. Maybe it was because of his age & his charismatic figure, but he's completely suit with the idea of calm and gentleman sort of Eugene. I really love the ending part, where he's frozen in shock. I think that despite his verbal overtures, he's still basically the same kid inside who was brought up to feel inferior to the nobility. The very careful distance he maintains between them stems from the inferiority complex that has been ingrained in him. It's going to take a lot to break down that wall, so the way I see it, next episode, he'll probably let his feelings out. Maybe coming back to Joseon indeed was only to destroy himself. Love makes someone becomes a fool.
Cheers, up till next week episode! I am just loving this show more and more.This is why Kim Eun Sook's drama has always been my favorite. Cheesy yet classy. Deep yet meaningful. This is the kind of modern romance.
No comments:
Post a Comment