The King 2 Hearts Episode 8 Recap

Who’s cried today? You can’t have watched today’s episode 7 and 8 of The King 2 Hearts without crying at some point. I really lost it during the moment when Jae Ha was taking off his tux and thinking back to his moments with Jae Kang. I so wanted to hug my all grown up puppy at that moment, but I’m glad he has Hang Ah by his side to do just that later on in the episode. How quickly things change in TK2H-land, when an episode ago things were rainbows and puppies and a bickering North-South Korean engaged couple.

In the blink of an eye, the stakes are raised for everyone, whether they are ready or not. If you’re not yet on the TK2H train (why ever not?), now is the right time to climb aboard. Soon Jae Ha will indeed become the titular King with 2 hearts, his love for his country and for Hang Ah. If those two loves become at odds with each other, who will he choose? Boy, I will be hurting big time if it comes to that point. These last two recaps came at the expense of bathroom breaks, lunch, and rescheduling conference calls. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Episode 8 recap:

The car carrying Jae Ha returns to the Palace and he gets out of the car. He looks up and on the roof of the Palace are shamans who are chanting and saying a prayer for the deceased King and Queen and summoning their souls back. Everyone looks up at this ritual for the deceased, and Jae Ha continues to be dry-eyed.

Jae Ha goes to his room and grabs a suit to change into out of his tux. As he pulls his bow tie off, he starts to remember his happy moments with Jae Kang, such as when he finished military service, teasing Jae Kang, and their general banter with each other.

Jae Ha starts to cry as a silent tear falls from one eye. It’s like he’s afraid to let his emotions out, but he’s not strong enough to control it completely, especially when he’s alone and vulnerable.

Hang Ah is on the phone with her dad, who asks if she’s fine with the shocking state of affair in South Korea. He only entrusted her to the care of the King because he trusted him, but Hang Ah doesn’t have time to discuss this with her dad and apologizes before hanging up.

She goes to try and find Jae Ha, walking through the hall of royal portraits where she runs into him there. He’s wearing a black suit and headed somewhere. He’s subdued and has red puffy eyes, but is calm. Secretary Eun reminds him by calling him “Your majesty” and saying he is late already.

Hang Ah startles, and then calls him “Your majesty” as well. Jae Ha stops besides her and says that he wishes she didn’t call him that as well. Jae Ha continues on his way and Hang Ah just watches him.

Jae Ha changes into the official red formal attire of the King. He stands before the portraits of Jae Kang and the Queen, and he’s handed the Imperial Seal. He’s greeted by all the government officials in a formal line as they bow. He walks past them and into the King’s office.

Jae Ha sets the Imperial Seal down on the table and turns around, where all the Imperial guards kneel before their new King. Hang Ah is in her room and tells her serving lady that she wants to help, so what can she do?

Jae Ha sits down at the desk of the King, pausing for a moment before sitting down. Jae Ha is told by Secretary Eun told that from now on, he needs to write a diary. Every King writes in the diary every day about the political matters he has dealt with, what he read, what he felt. The diary is an electronic one, so he faces the monitor and the portrait of the previous King as he recites his diary.

Jae Ha is alone in the office and he turns his chair around to stare at the framed portrait of Jae Kang. He pushes a button and the electronic diary appears, asking him to reset the password. He just stares at the portrait of Jae Kang and doesn’t say anything.

Afterwards Jae Ha is handed a stack of documents for him to review and understand what Jae Kang was working on in the recent days. Jae Ha asks why there are so many pending matters when it’s the national mourning period. Jae Ha criticizes some of the political matters that are pending, wondering what government had been doing these days. Secretary Eun says the government has been doing quite a lot, and what what Jae Ha doing ten months ago?

Jae Ha settles in to do his new kingly duties, not forgetting to tell Secretary Eun that he has an IQ of 187. Secretary Eun peeks in at Jae Ha diligently reviewing the documents and looks pleased to see him working so hard.

Secretary Eun meets with an official who informs him that the vents were plugged up in the vacation compound and the windows were only opened a crack. Plus there were a lot of wood in the fireplace. All of this caused the carbon monoxide poisoning. But there is nothing to indicate that it was anything but a tragic accident. Hhhmm, I think the death of a King and Queen warrant a LOT more investigation than this, but I’m sure it’ll all be dug up later when the baddie is apprehended.

Secretary Eun thinks back to his conversation with Danial Craig and how he revealed that Anmyeondo was a great place for a vacation. He gets a text from Danial Craig “thanking him” for his help. Clearly Secretary Eun knows what he did to cause the death of the King and Queen.

The Queen Mother is in the hospital with the Princess, who is still unconscious. She’s on the phone continuing to plan a lot of events and doing her regular duties. When the serving ladies offer to take care of the Princess, the Queen Mother declines since she is a very proud girl and wouldn’t want people to see her like this. The doctors say her brain functions haven’t been injured.

The Princess wakes up and all she remembers was talking on the phone with Jae Ha and then dropping off groceries for Jae Kang. After that she doesn’t remember what happened. When she reaches for her phone to check her phone log, she is further shocked to realize her legs are paralyzed.

Secretary Eun is sitting in his room and gets a text asking if he’s not feeling well because the King wants to see him right away. Jae Ha talks with Secretary Eun, reveals his concerns about whether his brother and sister-in-law died by accident, and how strange that Jae Shin also got into an accident on the same night. There was nothing wrong with her car, and she doesn’t remember the events leading up to the accident.

Secretary Eun stares at the portrait of Jae Kang, and then takes the responsibility. He says it’s his fault that the King and Queen died, because he didn’t inspect the house properly. Jae Ha asks if the furnace, chimney, and windows were not inspected properly? Secretary Eun confirms it, and Jae Ha kicks the table aside in his frustration.

Jae Ha asks if Secretary Eun is trying to quit because he believes his failed in his duty to the previous King, or because he doesn’t like Jae Ha and doesn’t want to assist him? Secretary Eun says it’s both reasons. Jae Ha tells him that his punishment is to stay by Jae Ha’s side and turn a guy who is a piece of trash like him into a King. Secretary Eun agrees and leaves.

As Secretary Eun walks out of his meeting with Jae Ha, he gets a call from Bong Goo, who is there to dig the dagger of guilt even deeper. Bong Goo knew Secretary Eun must’ve tried to resign, but there is nothing he can do to assuage his guilt. He accepted a bribe from them and revealed confidential information, and now he hasn’t come clean about it. So he is that kind of person as well, going to the new King and taking some responsibility and wanting to quit, but not telling the whole truth. Secretary Eun replies that he’s not such a fake person.

Bong Goo says that the current King is a piece of trash and cannot lead the country. He will destroy the country if he rules it. He wants Secretary Eun to not oppose him in what he is planning to do, since it’s for the good of the country. The female assassin is at the airport and reads the news that the King and Queen’s deaths have been called an accident. She leaves the country.

Hang Ah is in the hot house tending to plants, which was something we’ve seen the Queen Mother do in an earlier episode. The serving lady tries to stop her, saying the Queen Mother doesn’t want her to do anything. But Hang Ah has a lot of free time, plus she’s not officially a member of the royal family yet. She says it’s just plucking some plants, it can’t be that a Northerner touches the plants and it’ll all turn commie red.

Jae Ha is walking and sees Hang Ah in the hot house. He smiles, and it’s a smile that seems like he found some relief at last. He walks inside to talk with her. He tells everyone to leave so he can talk to her privately. Jae Ha teases that she’s suitable for doing physical work, which causes Hang Ah to gripe that the first thing he says to her is to make fun of her.

Hang Ah affects a sageuk accent and bows to Jae Ha, and he leans down and teases her, asking if she’s pretending that she’s acting in a sageuk? Hang Ah asks how he’s doing, if he’s in a lot of pain and tired. He’s more worried about his mother collapsing. Jae Ha asks Hang Ah to help him take care of Jae Shin.

The Queen Mother is taking care of Jae Shin, who sits there and then calmly stabs herself in the thigh with the bottom of sharp brush. Her mother is horrified, but Jae Shin wanted to confirm that she has lost all sensation in her legs.

Shi Kyung arrives but the Princess doesn’t want to see him. Hang Ah goes to the hospital to see Jae Shin but is kept at the door. When the serving lady tells the Queen Mother that his majesty asked Hang Ah to come visit Jae Shin, she allows Hang Ah inside before leaving.

Jae Shin is listening to music when she smells something. She looks around and then is so devastated to realize that she has defecated without realizing it since she has no control over her bowel movements anymore. She tries to crawl to the bathroom to clean herself, and when Shi Kyung hears noise and wants to come in, she screams for him not to come in.

Jae Shin says she will commit suicide if anyone came in, but Hang Ah walks in regardless. Hang Ah comes in and immediately sees the situation. She calmly locks the door and walks over to the bed to pull the sheets and blankets off, tossing it aside. She goes to draw a bath and then fairly drags Jae Shin over and dumps her in the tub. Jae Shin tries to struggle and calls Hang Ah a Communist as she rages over her impotent state.

Hang Ah remains calm and firm with her, telling Jae Shin that all she did was crap, which every human being does. It’s not a big deal, so she needs to get over it. Right now the Queen Mother is so busy and overwhelmed, so does Jae Shin want to make her mother worry more? When Jae Shin tries to hit Hang Ah, she endures it, only telling Jae Shin not to keep hitting the same spot. She undresss Jae Shin and then gives her a bath.

Hang Ah compliments Jae Shin on having such beautiful skin, to which Jae Shin replies that she was born with it. They discuss skin care routines and exfoliation. When the Queen Mother returns, Hang Ah has cleaned Jae Shin up and is putting lotion on her legs. Jae Shin orders Hang Ah around, telling her the right lotions to use for her legs and her feet. Jae Shin tells her mom that she had a bowel movement but unni cleaned her up already, though the room still smells bad. The Queen Mother looks touched and saddened.

The Queen Mother is personally cooking and brings Hang Ah along to the kitchen. The Queen Mother shows Hang Ah how to make clam soup the way the family likes to eat it. I love this mother-in-law/future daughter-in-law bonding moment, despite how gruff the Queen Mother still remains when she speaks with Hang Ah. When Hang Ah still talks with her North Korean accent, the Queen Mother asks her to stop and Hang Ah promises to try. They smile at each other.

During dinner that night at the hospital, so sad with only the four of them sitting around the table, without Jae Kang and the Queen, everyone eats the clam soup Hang Ah made. The Queen Mother tells Jae Ha and Jae Shin that Hang Ah made the dish and they sample it. Jae Shin says it’s good but a little salty, and Jae Ha takes a bite but has to drink some water. The conversation turns to something in the past that brings up Jae Kang and everyone grows silent. They move the topic along and the mood relaxes again.

After dinner, Jae Shin waves at her mother from the window of her hospital room. The Queen Mother is in the car heading back when she finally breaks down and starts gasping and crying, with Shi Kyung sitting up front and hearing this. Jae Shin sits in bed and flips through pictures of Jae Kang and cries over losing her oldest brother.

The day of the funeral arrives and Jae Ha, wearing his formal kingly attire, walks to the service. The Queen Mother cries but Jae Ha remains stoic as the country says goodbye to the King and Queen.

Jae Ha is secretly crying in his office when Hang Ah arrives and he hides it from her. She can tell, and after making the excuse that she is here to return something to him, she asks him to cry out loud. If he keeps going like this he’ll get sick. And nothing is more important than taking care of himself. Jae Ha tells Hang Ah that she’s overstepped her bounds this time.

Hang Ah goes to see Secretary Eun and asks him to clear Jae Ha calendar for three, no two, hours. Just let him rest a bit. Jae Ha is in his office, he’s crouched on the ground with his head resting against the corner of the table. He gets up when the door opens and Shi Kyung comes in. He’s told that his upcoming schedule has been canceled.

Hang Ah sits in her room with snacks prepared, all of foods Jae Ha likes. She practices saying “oppa” by watching dramas, remembering Jae Ha telling her what all men like to hear from woman. She tries it and almost makes herself barf at how sickening it is. But she is so cute practicing saying “oppa”.

Jae Ha arrives, asking if she wanted to see him? She confirms that she wants him to rest for a bit but he says he can’t, he has work to do. He sees the food and reminds her that he can’t eat meat during this period. Hang Ah tells him to try it, this has all been approved, as she stammers out an “….op….pa…” Jae Ha looks stunned and asks if she just called him “oppa”?

She looks embarrassed and he teases her, asking how old she is that she is calling him oppa. Hang Ah says she is not his fan, she is learning from the famous actresses in North Korea. He teases her, saying that to him, she is like Jeon Do Yeon and Kim Tae Hee. Hang Ah pouts, not wanting to do this anymore. Jae Ha moves over to sit next to Hang Ah and asks her to continue, he finds this very entertaining.

Hang Ah says she wasn’t trying to entertain him, she wanted to cheer him up. He says he is cheered up, that despite her lack of acting talents, she’s quite good at making him laugh. He whines, asking her to show him what else she learned for him. Hang Ah makes him promise that he won’t laugh, and he promises.

Hang Ah gets up and does T-ara’s Bo Beep dance. She’s adorable and Jae Ha watches but can’t help but bust out laughing. He asks why she’s got bear paw gloves on her hands, is she intending to box with someone. He compliments her on being cute.

Later on, Jae Ha lays down on the bed, feeling relaxed since he hasn’t drank in awhile. Hang Ah reminds him that he has thirty minutes left before he has to go back to work. But she offers to let him sleep and wake him up later.

Jae Ha suddenly grabs Hang Ah and pulls her down on the bed. RAWR. He teases her, reminding her that he’s her fiancée and he’s also the King. Hang Ah quickly gets up, reminding him that the royal family is a stickler for etiquette since the Joseon era. Jae Ha grouses that he’s going to get a harem then, if she’s like this. Hahaha, she’ll totally break your legs if you dare, Jae Ha.

Jae Ha changes the subject, pulling her to sit down and suggesting that she needs to take better care of her skin. Hang Ah takes out her mirror and says she’s been doing a lot of masks lately, plus Jae Kang complimented her on her pretty skin. Jae Ha wonders when that happened, also asking why Hang Ah believes what Jae Kang said?

Jae Ha teases that his brother is full of honey lies, and his sister-in-law totally got hoodwinked to agree to marry Jae Kang. Hang Ah says that isn’t the case, and there is a picture to prove it. On the day of the accident, Jae Kang said he would email a picture to both of them. Jae Ha says he deleted that picture, but Hang Ah says its fine, he can look at the picture on her phone.

Hang Ah takes out her phone and shows Jae Ha the picture. Jae Ha teases that his brother totally doesn’t match up to his sister-in-law. Hang Ah gets up to leave and give him some space, but Jae Ha reaches out and stops her. He reveals that he hung up on his brother that night, as he starts to sob out loud. Hang Ah sits back down on the bed and looks at Jae Ha.

He apologizes, he never knew things would turn out this way. Hang Ah pulls him into her embrace, letting him cry in her arms.

The scene goes dark, and the next scene is our King and future Queen in bed. Uhm, okay…..I’m just too exhausted to complain about how the bed scene was completely swept under the bed. All signs point to them having slept together, so I’ll go with that assumption.

Secretary Eun is informed that the King spent the night in Hang Ah’s chambers. He tells the servants to keep this under wraps and then rushes over to get Jae Ha. He chastises Hang Ah for not sending him back earlier. Jae Ha is now the King and they can’t behave like they used to. During this time, even if the King wants to, they shouldn’t have done this. Hang Ah apologizes but says that it was her who wanted to, and she doesn’t look chastened.

Secretary Eun gets a call from Bong Goo, who is on the plane headed for South Korea. Bong Goo steps out of the plane and complains that every time he comes back, he’s overwhelmed by the smell of kimchee in the air.

Jae Ha and Bong Goo get ready to meet John Mayer, with Secretary Eun telling Jae Ha that the man is the head of Club M. Jae Ha thinks the guy is just a regular businessman but Secretary Eun tells him it’s not that simple. Bong Goo pulls up to the Palace and is brought in to meet Jae Ha.

When Bong Goo sees Jae Ha, he stares a bit before bowing. Jae Ha offers him a hand and Bong Goo accepts the hand, but says he’s very happy to see Jae Ha………..again. Jae Ha asks what he means by “again”? Bong Goo asks if he doesn’t remember?

Thoughts of Mine:

I tend to dish out superlatives like candy bon bons. Let’s just say I’m not stingy with the praise when I love something. By the end of episode 8 of TK2H, this drama has exceeded my expectation in every way, and then taken my expectation for drives to new sights I never even knew existed. This drama isn’t perfect, but it’s damn perfect for me. We’ve now finished with the set up part of the drama, getting the characters to the point where all the stakes are raised, and now its time for the big baddie to step up and wreak his havoc all around. While I don’t think Bong Goo plotted everything, he seems to be able to roll with the punches and switch up his plan to continue towards his ultimate goal.

I liked the discovery that Secretary Eun is a flawed individual, neither evil and in cahoots with Club M, nor is he snow white and upstanding. He was definitely a factor in the King and Queen’s deaths, but I think his role was really not as critical in the greater scheme of things. Bong Goo is clearly rich and connected enough to find ways to assassinate Jae Kang if this particular opportunity didn’t pan out. However, I like this twist, having Shi Kyung and Secretary Eun having some stake in the harm that has befallen the various royal family members. I hope this only makes Secretary Eun wanting to help and protect Jae Ha more, because if my boy even loses a hair on his head, imma go nuclear on his ass. And so will Hang Ah.

This episode continued to break my heart about Jae Kang’s death, with every little thing Jae Ha does just a reminder that his brother is gone. It’s not just losing a beloved sibling, which is devastating enough, but it’s being asked to take over his job so that the reminder of his death hovers every second of the day. No wonder Jae Ha always has this split second pause when he sees Hang Ah, because only Hang Ah isn’t tied to his previous life as a Prince and now his duties as a King. She’s just Kim Hang Ah, this odd kick-ass girl from the North that has wormed her way into his heart and become his shelter from the storm.

Poor Jae Shin’s paralysis is also gutwrenching to see, this fiercely independent and proud girl being forced to rely on others and have her freedom constrained. When she lost control of her bowels, I cried not because it was something shameful, but because of how desperately she tried to clean herself up and hide the accident. The way Hang Ah barged in and didn’t make a big deal and just told Jae Shin to deal with it was the perfect reaction, and confirms for me what a good addition to the family Hang Ah will be. Even the Queen Mother, who has been such a bed rock of strength in dealing with the death of her son and daughter-in-law and the paralysis of her daughter, could see Hang Ah’s positive traits and good fit for her family.

What more can I say about my beloved Hang Ah and Jae Ha, who individually and collectively continue to make me love them more and more. Some miracle from drama Heaven will have to occur for any couple to dethrone them as my OTP of 2012. At this point, whenever Jae Ha and Hang Ah have a scene together, I simply can’t see or hear anything else. They capture my full attention, whether they are being cute or teasing with each other (“oppa”, the Bo Beep dance with bear gloves) or just having a face-to-face conversation (such as when Hang Ah told Jae Ha to cry). I knew Jae Ha would finally sob out his despair over losing Jae Kang, and that it would be with Hang Ah. He’s now the King and can’t just let his emotions out, but only with Hang Ah does he have the space to be Jae Ha, the guy who always has a quip ready to tease Hang Ah.

Let me finish this recap by discussing the big “did-they-or-didn’t-they” question in this episode? I blame it on the poor editing (and possible cutting of the scene), which showed Jae Ha and Hang Ah went from hugging and crying to laying in bed in the dark, all without any juicy moments. I think the drama is saying they slept together, which is no big deal since they are 30 years old and engaged. No one is a prude here. But why the PD chose to present it in such an odd and low key way eludes me. Maybe because the important catharsis was Jae Ha revealing his sorrow about losing Jae Kang, and the sleeping together afterwards was just a natural progression of the moment between two engaged adults who happened to be alone and sitting on a bed. Whatever the reason, this drama doesn’t hammer home the usual trope of romantic scenes, always using it for emotional impact in other ways. I’ll stake my money now that we’ll get a proper really heated bed scene further down the now when it’s supposed to happen. For now, TH2K continues to be daebak to the nth degree.


Comments

The King 2 Hearts Episode 8 Recap — 110 Comments

    • Double yey! AM first! for the very first time! Huh! couldn’t believe that would tickle me pink… but it does.. teehee.

  1. Thank you thank you so much, ockoala. Didn’t expect recap ep 8 this fast. You’re the best. Goes off to read the recap =)

  2. Thank you for the recaps! I haven’t mustered up the guts yet to watch the episode. The recap itself was already making me cry. I miss Jae Kang so much! He was just such a warm person. And poor Jae-Shin – I remember how she was dancing up there on stage when we first saw her in the drama. The Queen Mother – it is such an unnatural state of things to see one’s child pass away before you. It’s just something that shouldn’t happen. And now to see her lively daughter like this. I’m really sad that Secretary Eun became involved. Yes the stakes are higher, but Jae-ha is going to feel so betrayed when he finds out.

  3. Thank you very much for taking the time to write this all up! ^^ I cried so many times watching these two episodes live even though I couldn’t understand what they were saying. Emotional rollercoaster for me definitely. Lots of powerful scenes this time around, the JaeShin HangAh hospital scene, all the crying scenes with Jae Ha (you can just feel his inner sadness and how he’s trying to stay strong in front of others), and of course all the scenes with our OTP. Whenever they’re on screen together, they have my full attention. Can’t wait till the next episode! This show is truly DAEBAK for me too ^^

  4. Thank you for such a fast recap, you are awesome!

    I love the episode for the emotional touches, but I felt something was missing, like maybe a scene showing what is the public’s reaction to the king and queen’s death, as well as their reaction to Jae Ha taking the throne. I think in this area the writer/director has not done a better job in connecting that narrative more with reality. If any of the existing constitutional monarchy pass away, it will be a big issue in their countries.

    For the bed scene being so anticlimax, I highly suspect it was due to consideration of both leads being highly favored in the eyes of the public, and it came in the way of how it should have been done better.

    • I think they took into consideration the death of JH’s beloved brother!! It called for a somber mood….the lovemaking wouldn’t have been uber-romantic, if you know what I’m getting at! The transition was albeit a bit jarring…when they showed her in bed I went, “aww she’s thinking abt him” and then the camera moves to JH!! I literally spazzed and covered my mouth (much to my surprise at my fan girling abilities)

    • I think I got too caught up in feeling sad for the king when I wrote this comment. On second watching with subs, I actually felt that it is more important to focus on the emotional impact and toll of the tragedy and it was done right.
      And from reading so many great comments, yes, it would have been crass to go into more details for the bedscene in the context of the tragedy.

  5. You are A-mazing!!! Two recaps in one day! If that’s not love for the drama, I don’t know what else to call it! All the long wait was worth it! …and what can I say? Welcome to the Lee Seung Gi fan club!

  6. Thanks, Koala! I watched ep 8 with no subs and understood most of it, which is really a credit to all the actors and directing of this drama. Not to mention the kickass soundtrack. Gah, so much to talk about, so many heartbreaking scenes. Seung-gi is really nailing his role and I am so in love with him now.

    And because I squeed and had heart palpitations about the bed scene, or the “before-bed scene”, I must say that the editing actually worked for me, even if it was a little jarring. Maybe some kissing or him nuzzling her neck again would have made a smoother transition but I’m really okay with how they did it. I think that taking away the emphasis on their love scene made Jae Ha’s breakdown and crying so much more poignant and yes of course they did it, which was a natural progression given that their feelings for each other and how emotionally charged everything was for the last couple of days. Just my 2 cents. And yes…definitely looking forward to a proper bed scene in the future eps. Haha. 😉

    • I also thought the cut bed-scene was planned to not take away from the poignancy of the emotions. However, I think this is also a very great way to keep the audience suspecting and undercutting our theories of how JS and HA will progress – i.e. hit us with a miscarriage or virgin scandal, etc.

      Of the airing trendy dramas, TK2H is definitely on top (I’m still trying to comprehend all the fuss over Rooftop). I haven’t been this engaged since Tree – the acting, directing, character devo and plot line is just better the current crop of dramas out there. Hope this drama gets the recognition it deserves. Can’t wait for next week’s eps! Great job dear on recaps!

      • P.S. If Moon Chae Won and Park Shi Hoo was my Drama OTP of 2011, then it looks like Ha Ji Won and Lee Seung Gi will claim that title for 2012. The chemistry is just sizzling between these two.

  7. Omg, thank you thank you thank you for this recap!! Okoala, to me u really are wonder woman. I was just checkin ur site before going to bed to see if you maybe had a baby recap to.ep 7 like in the days of LTM and I find both episodes recapped! Is is my birthday?

    I am really liking how this show is progressing and im itching to watch this as soon as my exams finish, which sadly isnt until end of may :/ But I going to miss seeing Jae Kang as king, this is the only role for this actor that I have liked…And hang ah-Jae ha really arw OTP of the year!

  8. damn….you are a recapping godess!!…I’m still patiently waiting for subs (this patience comes is a strech)…in the meanwhile I have no idea on what to do with myself

  9. thank you thank you mrs.koala

    this is the best episode, I love it, the scene between Hang Ah and Jae Shin was so touching, really I wanted cry, BUT the last scene between Jae Ha and Hang Ah was so so cute, I can’t wait for the next episode, the wait tortures me

    Btw someone know what they tell in the preview?

    • I think they found planted evidence of North Korean spy devices, and Hang Ah/North Korea will be framed for the assassination of the king and queen.

  10. Auntie K,

    Please go get some rest ASAP and thank you for the recap. You’re the BEST!!!

    I loved this episode because while it was sad, it also was the beginning of the healing process for the royal family. I’m so glad that Princey now Kingy is starting to realize the treasure that is Hang Ah. I know because of Hang Ah, he will be able to become a king that his brother would be proud of. And I love how Jae Ha compared Hang Ah to the two treasures of Korea (Kim Tae Hee and Jeon Do Yeon, which she also got compared to in Secret Garden as well, I guess someone really likes Ha Ji Won ^.^ which everyone should cuz she’s an amazing actress and so awesome).

    Thank you so much again!!! Have a nice rest 🙂

  11. thank you so much for your recap! opened ur site right after i woke up this morning hoping to see some sneak peak about last night’s ep but so wonderful to see both recaps!
    i’ll be waiting patiently for the subbed version of this drama and i just want to hit my head on the table because i can’t watch it on viki cuz of my region T_T
    i’m loving this show soooo much. haven’t actually watched a korean drama for quite a while cuz of uni and the fact that the dramas won’t appealing to me. i always just read the recaps instead. but this drama has totally made my fall in love again and is so willing to actually watch it!!
    i can just tell i wil be crying buckets when i watch ep 7 because i love the king so much. his scenes with jh gives me the warm fuzzies =)
    definitely OTP of the year =) i love that ha gets to wear prettier and prettier clothes. and is it weird for me to keep thinking that hjw looks so similar to that actress who plays my procescutor princess (must be the hair…and if they actually r in fact the same person…and i don’t think they are…please totally disgregard what i said! *hides in the closet*) she also looks really similar to that second lead actress who plays full house…. haha just putting it out there =)
    looking forward to next week!!

    • Yes!
      There are some angles that emphasize HJW’s cheekbones that make me think of Kim So Yeon, too. KSY’s features are less round, or more sculpted than HJW, though. In Gourmet, her face looked practically skull-u-lar.

      For some reason, I think HJW plays younger, even though she is two years older.

  12. You are a super woman, Koala.
    You are super fast, super talented and a super at everything.
    Thanks so much for keeping us entertain. xoxo

  13. Thank you!! Thank you!! My love for TK2H knows no bounds!! <3

    I've lost count of the number of times I cried….when JH was changing into the suit my tears were aflowing….i just wanted to tell him it'll be okay….we as an audience grieve with him and for him for the huge hole left after the death of the previous King!! I think they did sleep together….in one of the previous threads on your blog somebody mentioned that HA will either be pregnant or may will miscarry!! At the time, I was like 'wow, how will this ever happen?!'…but i can deffo see it happen and it'll raise the stakes yet again!!

    Lastly, what can I say that hasn't been mentioned a kazillion times! The acting (omg-LSG as JH has been hitting it out of the park from the very outset of this drama), writing, the music etc……if they could somehow get the editing glitches fixed it'll be perfect!! And, BG you bastard get the frick away from my OTP!! I'm pretty sure i'll be thirsting for your blood from what I could tell from the Ep 9 preview!! ackkkkk!!

    Query: does anybody know the background score when JH is standing at the bridge (ep 7) and changing into the suit (ep 8)? I wanna download it and put it on repeat….

    • As for the investigation I think it’s ongoing….the writer wanted to focus on the impact of the two deaths on the royal family in the last two episodes!! The few tidbits mentioned were to keep us current wrt the investigation. Ep 9 i think they’ll uncover a box and a cell phone….pointing the evidence to HA!!

      • @Saima, omo..is this a spoiler?!! (HA’s pregnancy)

        I thought about this too, after they supposedly did the “deed” — what if HA gets pregnant? But wow, if the writers will go this route and North Korea will be framed for Jae Kang’s death then yeah, its all heartbreak central from here.

        I can already see it happening, people will start blaming HA and putting a lot of pressure on JH so she will have no choice but to break their engagement and then just as she is about to go back to NK, wham – she discovers that she is pregnant, in such a way that other people in the palace will know about it. Then the dilemma will be: will they turn away a suspected spy/assassin who is also the mother of their future heir? And imagine how difficult this position will be for JH to be caught in between his country and the woman that he loves.

        Gah…my heart hurts just thinking about it. Better rewatch my favorite OTP scenes. Love this show so much.

      • @yeisha: From what the commenter mentioned I think there’ll be a high likelihood of that happening now! :/ If you watched the Ep 8 preview last week they had a little scene when HA’s in the car (right after she supposedly tells her dad that she wants to return!!)….so, i’m pretty sure all this ‘evidence’ plus the pressure of all quarters will make JH lash out at her….and, she’ll take the blame if NK’s found to be guilty!! gahhh, totally hating that secretary right now!! To save his skin he’ll make our OTP (and my heart) go through the wringer! 🙁

      • @Saima: aaackkk..I forgot about that scene in the preview. Damn. Our hearts will bleed. Though I really don’t want JH to start lashing out at her…everyone else can hate her, just not JH, please.

        Because to be honest, I don’t think he has done as much to deserve her love..yet. I mean, we know that he does love her but he was basically just ‘going with the flow’ with their engagement because they got caught kissing. And yes, JH has stepped in his role as King quiet superbly but I don’t want him to go back to his jerk ways hurting HA…I’d rather him be torn and angsty about the whole thing than be mean to her again.

  14. I’m so annoyed with the secretary’s Beatles album scene. The bribe was so obvious that I wonder how we’re supposed to believe that he didn’t suspect the grave consequences. In his phonecall with John Meyer he seems genuinely surprised that he’s responsible for the King’s death. How could he have been a royal secretary for so long if he’s so unprofessional?! I don’t think it fit his character at all. If only everything to do with the baddies wasn’t this heavy-handed… It suited the earlier comedic tone, but I thought it was jarring now that tragedy has hit and the drama turns more serious.

    In contrast, I really liked the interactions in the royal family and with Hang Ah and her father. So many poignant scenes! The actors also all did a great job (especially loved Lee Seung-Gi and Lee Yoon-Ji’s portrayal of Jae Ha and Jae Shin). The holiday scenes of the former King and Queen were also wonderful – I’m really going to miss them! Jae Kang was such a wonderful character.

    • That Craig David guy is a donor to the royal family and businessman, so I thought that when he asked for a hint, the secretary was guessing that he wanted to “coincide” his visit to talk to the king for business reasons. He didn’t know his connections with John Mayer. But unprofessional yes. And not very impressive writing in terms of action thrillers in the unsurprising way the assassination was carried out.

  15. Hi again Miss K, and thank you! thank you! thank you!
    I watched the episode an hour ago raw, now I will read the recaps so I can understand better. I agree with the commentator who would have liked to see the reaction of the public shown to both deaths and to the new king.
    I LOL at your comment about “the bed scene swept under the bed” and your choice of words. I would have preferred for the bed scene to happen later as this episode to me felt heavy with emotions about the passing of the king and his wife and the accident suffered by the princess. That to me was a lot to take in and process. I would have wanted the bed scene to be made a big deal out of because it was the first time for Hang Ah and I wanted Jae Ah to treat it accordingly. I don’t need to see a lot (actually I don’t want to) and I know that Korean writers can be very creative when it comes to addressing that issue and implying that the deal went down. I just think that they made a big deal out of her first kiss and showed how important this was for her as a woman, and so I was expecting at least as much about her first time with him. Him showing that (or at least indicating that) he knew that and understood that and him having shown in some (subsequent) episodes that he was mature enough to handle her in that way.
    That was what I liked about the kiss. He didn’t just jump on her. The writers built up to it and when it happened, it was still slow, soft and gentle. They (the writers and actor/actress) eased into it and I felt that it was appropriate, considering who her character was and how she processes things (romantically). When it comes to romance, almost everything is new to her. she should have the time to process it and savor it, I feel.
    This drama has some really good romantic and sentimental scenes and a tone built within and that is part of the attraction for me. I am hoping that they will keep it at that level and that they won’t rush through the romance and through the way their relationship is built up, even though they started way ahead with announcing an engagement as it is.
    I do see your point however, I also felt that there was a lack of continuity between the room going black and them being in bed, supposedly having done the deed. Oh well…
    I did cry during the scenes related to the king and the queen funerals. I usually don’t cry during kdramas, even for the sad scenes, but that felt so real and the king really was a good guy who was also multi-dimensional. It was easy to get attached to his character. He was really well acted.

    • When the secretary confronts HA she does apologize but doesn’t seem apologetic which indirectly provided us a little insight into her emotions abt the act! The lovemaking usually is a natural progression….the emotions, the mood, JH’s admission to HA abt his last convo w/ his bro…. in hindsight, everything seemed to carry them forward to this moment! It could’ve been handled better ‘visually’ so we’d know how things progressed prior to their lovemaking but i’m okay with it!! And, as for the kiss I swooned when JH earlier asked a couple of times if he should kiss her!! He was such an ass (in those episodes) but a gentleman!!

      • Hello Ms. Saima, and thank you for your response.

        I feel that it might be helpful if I explained why I came to say what I said in my comments. I wrote my comments after having watched the episode 8 raw, and my understanding of the Korean language is still very limited, so I basically only understood or was able to catch only a very selected few words while watching episode 8. It would be fair to say that although I watched the episode carefully and I did my best to read the body language of the actors/actresses, I had very little idea of what was being discussed. I nonetheless wanted to watch the episode and did not want to wait for the subs, so I did, at my own “perils,” I admit.
        I did mention at the beginning of my comment that I had watched the episode raw, and that I was then going to read her recap, with the hope of understanding better what had happened in that episode. To start with your first comment, l didn’t understand a single thing during the exchange between the secretary and HA. I didn’t know what he told her, I didn’t know she was apologizing to him and so as much as I saw her act and talk back to the secretary, because I didn’t understand what was being said, I couldn’t have the insight you had, when you watched this episode.
        I also mentioned in my comment that (TO ME), “the episode was heavy with emotions after the passing of the king (and his wife) and the accident suffered by the princess. That to me was a lot to take in and process. I would have wanted the bed scene to be made a big deal out of because it was the first time for Hang Ah and I wanted Jae Ah to treat it accordingly. I don’t need to see a lot (actually I don’t want to) and I know that Korean writers can be very creative when it comes to addressing that issue and implying that the deal went down. I just think that they made a big deal out of her first kiss and showed how important this was for her as a woman, and so I was expecting at least as much about her first time with him. Him showing that (or at least indicating that) he knew that and understood that and him having shown in some (subsequent) episodes that he was mature enough to handle her in that way (meaning handle her first time being intimate).” I proceeded to talk about why I liked how the kiss came about (you can read about it if you read my post) and I LOVED that they flirted and had playful banter on their way to the kiss. I was hoping to see some of the same for their first time together.
        Some say and think that their first time together wasn’t a big deal, after all they were grown ups. I respectfully disagree. I am probably in the minority about this, but I think that it was a huge deal. I personally believe that the first time for a woman (or for a man for that matter) is a huge deal. Your first time only happens once. I mentioned this on another post on this blog, but personally, I would have liked it if they (the writers) had gone the traditional route, making the OTP wait until they were married (and figure out how to bring conflicts and angst even with them being married) or have them sleep together (since they wanted them to) in a later episode because as I mentioned earlier, this one for me focused on the sadness of the king passing and I would have liked to have had a few minutes/moments to appreciate them having their first time together (the leading up to it, not the actual act). So to me (personally), putting that scene in the next episode or a few episodes down the line would have worked better so I could process and absorb better what was happening.
        I am aware that opinions are like belly buttons, we all have one. I understand that the way this episode was written worked for you and you are entitled to feel that way. I, on the other hand, am of a different opinion and I think that should be OK as well! I was careful in the way I express my sentiments in my first comment and I made sure to convey that those feelings were mine and mine alone. I was not pushing them on anybody else. I felt slightly chastised when reading your comment (I could be wrong) simply because I was of a different opinion. I have read many blogs, and it seems to me that sharing different opinions is part of why people participate in the first place. I hope I am right about that. I also know that at the end of the day, this is not my drama and the writers will write the script the way they want to write it. I would say that imagining our own story telling about the drama we are watching is still part of the fun, however.
        Again Ms. Saima, thank you for your input and I hope you can respect mine. I believe that it is our love and interest in Kdramas and in Asian dramas that bring us to blogs such as this one. It is my understanding (and I hope I am not wrong on this) that many views are welcomed, as long as they are respectful and shared in such a manner.

  16. I actually like how the bed scene was played out.I think the writer was playing the imagination game for the viewers. I’m sure there will be a romantic and sizzling bed scene in other episodes.And now that the deed is done , this will surely play a big part of the plot. All I’ ve been doing is watching the episodes, waiting for english sub and reading recaps and comment all day.I’m so addicted to this drama.How much longer do we have to wait for the next episode?

    • Agree with you. Ah, Mc. Koala thanks for the recap. I really appreciate your effort to fill our thirst regarding our beloved OTP 😀

    • Agree with you. Ah, Ms.. Koala billion thanks for the recap. I really appreciate your effort to vanish our thirst regarding our beloved OTP 😀

  17. “Daebak to the 9th degree” Love that!! So true and perfectly describes this amazing show! Thanks for the fast recap 😀

  18. they storyline is really really really goodddddd…. I can’t predict what will happen. the character is so real. there’s no true good or bad side except the crazy magician

  19. I am loving this drama soo much… I actually did not expect the king and queen to die…but it was clear that HAD to happen in order to get Jae Ha to be the leading king… too bad cuz his brother was such a nice person!! I am hating the villian and I am hoping that Hang Ah will have a leading role in kicking is ass to death!!!!!
    8 episodes in and will love to fast-forward the time and know how everything is going to turn out!!!!
    Thanks to the drama gods for giving us a worth to watch drama! 😉

  20. Thank you Ms. Koala.
    *wiping tears

    After watching ep 7 and 8 and read your recaps, I wonder, where was dong ha when all this tragedy happened? I suspect there’s something about his evil stare in ep 5 when guarding the palace door from the journalists who want to confirm the engagement news.

  21. Great story and great twists!

    The secretary!!!!!!!
    “if my boy even loses a hair on his head, imma go nuclear on his ass” Super agree with you on this.
    And he should have told and warn JaeHa all about the crazy, bad guy before letting JaeHa meet up with him… I am hating everything about the crazy guy right now… well I dislike him from the start… and I want him no where near JaeHa!

    JaeHa FIGHTING!!!
    TK2H FIGHTING!!!

  22. WORDS CAN’T DESCRIBE HOW YOU MADE MY WEEK FOR NOW!! Been looking forward to this for soooooo long! You are truly awesome and amazing!

  23. Thanks for the recap Koala! Love love love your thoughts and this drama! Why is it that some of us just melt and go gaga when we watch a royal love story? There always has to be a couple of dramas every year that we get addicted to and want more. I feel like K2H is a drug… I always need a stronger dose every episode and even two episodes in one day is not enough… Aaahhhhh….

    Question: wasn’t hang ah the one who slapped jae shin in the back and not the other way around? Then jae shin told hang ah not to slap her in the same spot because it hurts?

  24. yay! thanks for the recap! we lost the “brotherly” love T_T but we gain “sisterly” love ^_^.

    as for the bed scene, i will not complain anymore. i’m over griping about it. just like ms. koala said.. i’ll just wait for the hotter bed scene. ^_^

  25. As much as I luv our OTP, I’m really going to miss the bromance b/w Jae Kang and Jae Ha and JK’s relationship with their sister. He was such an awesome big bro! I’m glad we got to see that he even had an adorable relationship with is wife! It is so refreshing to have a “normal” family where there are such cute relationships. There’s no animosity between the siblings or with the Queen Mum. Even though I knew JK’s death was coming (after all the KING of the story is Jae Ha) it still felt like a huge loss.

    I always liked Lee Seung-gi, although not to the point where anyone would consider me a fangirl….BUT….he *owned* the scenes where he tamped down his grief and carried on with the business at hand. And then when he broke down with Hang Ah……GAH!!!! I’m so glad he has her and has the space to be his real self in front of her.

    It’s gonna break our hearts if (when) something comes between them. -__-

  26. You don’t have the LIKE button on your page.. but if you have, I would’ve press it many times more.. Since you don’t have it, so here… LIKE LIKE LIKE LIKE LIKE LIKE.. enough for now, don’t want to cramp your wall.

  27. Awesome recap Koala. Your enthusiasm for this show and the OTP makes me giddy and want to get on the same train as you.

  28. “if my boy even loses a hair on his head, imma go nuclear on his ass”
    LOL, but i could not agree more.
    it’s become more complicated.
    by the way, thank you so much for your recap.
    and yes, now i’m officially LSG fans too.

  29. thank u for all ur sacrificed in order to complete this recap, glad u’re crazy bout K2H, hehehe, coz u’ll always give the best, thanks for the recap, it really help me to wait for the engsub

  30. thank you so much for the recap 🙂

    anyway, I was wondering about the preview of the 9 eps.
    I knew that they will bring an issue of HA as being a spy, but I don’t want to see HA to be hurt… T.T she is a good and strong woman – I knew – but still, I don’t prepare myself to see her standing alone, being hurt, suspected, and rejected – even by JH (esp. after what they have “done” =.=)

    I don’t really complain about the “intimate night” they had, but I do think (or probably I do wish) they could have postponed it until the right moment. Because, with the upcoming storms and their fragile relationship… I’m so afraid of HA will be the “victim” when she has to confront with those suspicion, rejection, and loneliness. Even though she is such a fearless woman, every human being has her limits, and often in reality, strong woman is actually fragile – inside.

    I hope, JH would be smarter in dealing with his HA’s issues. I demand two things from him: trust and responsibility, particularly after what he “did” to HA. =.=

    And.. one more, about the habit of writing diary by every Joseon’s kings.. Is JH allowed to read his hyung’s diary? And if yes, could it be possible that he found clues or explanations in regards with Club M’s crazy boss’s histories etc? Hmm.. this mystery is surely interesting.

  31. Me thinks they “did it” otherwise Jaeha won’t be shirtless at all. 🙂
    I actually did not expect the brother to die, I thought he would just step down or something so Jae ha would have to replace him.
    I wonder how this will affect Jaeha and Hangah’s engagement/wedding.
    tune in for next week…
    I wonder what Bonggu’s motives are for disliking the royal family. or maybe he just want to be the king himself as he creepily wrote in the windows “I AM KING”.

  32. Thanks Mrs. Koala, I was waiting for you recap, but I fell a sleep…, now I up and very, very happy. Omo you’re so fast. I adore this drama, this is far the best drama I’m watching/watch this year. Script is great, performance mind blowing. Can’t wait Wednesday 😉

  33. I love that smile when Jae Ha saw Hang Ah working in the garden. It is such a heart felt smile. It’s like seeing light near the end of a very long and dark tunnel. It’s also totally unprovoked – she just tickles him, by the sight of her. Under these tragic circumstances, Hang Ah is a godsend to Jae Ha. Be strong, Jae Ha & Hang Ah, and fighting!

  34. Thank you so much for your effort. Always can’t wait for your recap and very much appreciated. Thank you thank you.

  35. thanks for these fast recaps! Really helped understand the story while waiting for subs.
    These were awesome episodes full of a whole gamut of emotions. I cried, I laughed out loud, I squealed in true fan-girl style, I frowned in disgust, I smiled giddily…

    I agree with another post here that the writers really did well with the interactions between the family members. I liked how the siblings really liked one another, no petty jealousies…

    Though the security stuff, the political stuff re: the villain were not as good. Why was the princess running around the vacation spot without her security detail???

    One thing that really bugged me though was why the secretary allowed John Mayer back in SK when the previous King banned him from coming back until the following year. And why he allowed him to meet with Jae HA when JH was obviously not aware nor briefed yet regarding his illegal activities, and most esp since the secretary knew they were behind the royal couple’s deaths. It seems the height of stupidity. Spilling where the vacation location may be excused by carelessness but this one smacks of disloyalty to the monarchy in the interest of saving his own reputation or hiding his culpability in the murders. Is he not one of the good guys as I first thought?

    BTW, I’m in the minority (if not the only one) that suspects that nothing happened except sleep that night. Maybe he was just wrung out from his emotional storm and he slept there but he took his clothes off so he’ll be more comfy. Hang Ah was just too composed (and she was wearing a nightgown) for something to have happened. Instead she looked concerned and worried for him. Though I wouldn’t mind if I was wrong LOL!

    • The secretary is being blackmailed and will be doing John Mayer’s bidding from now on. But I sense a twist that he may become a help to Jae Ha further on, because he is not all evil.

  36. Omgosh it’s awesome! Not to belittle rooftop prince but they are not so in the dame league. The acting of the cast, writing, mood, utilising even the secondary parts it cuts through ur heart like a faux knife. I know it’s just a drama but in the last 2 ep I almost believe it’s a reality. It does portray how royalty acts when there is sorrow and I love they nee not have a hot scene to make fans swoon. Less is more! Esp w good and highly regarded reputation of ha JI won n Lee seunggi unless it’s against a samsung refrigerator. I guess samsung should b cashing in the kiss against d refrigerator kiss. Anyhow, I love love love the show. Thanks Koala! U have our 100 support! And tk2h it doesn’t matter what the ratings are good drama is good drama.

  37. According to statistics of AGB Nielson media search agency, the 7th episode of Rooftop Prince aired on April 12th, 2012 recorded the same rating as its previous episode, which is 12.5% national average rating. MBC’s The King 2 Hearts which broadcast episode 7 and episode 8 back to back recorded the ratings of 11.0% and 12.5% respectively, while KBS2′s Man From the Equator which recorded a surge in ratings as it was aired alone on April 11th, 2012, only manages to achieve the rating of 10.8%.
    And what’s up with this ratings… I really don’t care.
    TK2H is having his international public, and I’m one of them, I write from Europe, and every Wednesday and Thursday I go to sleep with TK2H, and wake up to read Koala’s and your guys posts.
    I don’t think TRTP is bad drama, it quite good, but it do anything for me. I just laugh but I don’t care about characters.
    So TK2H keep fighting we’re all there to support you 🙂

    • really? wow… I’m from the Netherlands.. we have Hearties FC here, 8 of us… this Sunday we will celebrate JH and HA first night together with Korean dinner in one of our city ( Amsterdam )’s Korean Restaurant. The Korean Garden.

    • me too, i dont care with the rating
      this drama more interesting for me, different story, great cast, n curious episode…
      love seung gi oppa, he act very well
      i hope there is love line between jae shin and shin kyung, it’s interested wacth this couple.

  38. From France, (so bad english ahah)Thanks a lot. I love this drama a lot, i know we shouldn’t be preoccupied by the rating but still…TT what wrong with Korean people? True, the two others dramas aren’t bad. But to me TK2H is way more deep and meaningul . Anyway can’t wait for ep 9. I’m ready to cry a river! hehe

  39. OMY!! I really love you!!<3 Thanks for this..^^ as d'way spanish people say ¡MUCHUSSIMA GRACIAS! Love all the fotos too. off to read now. 🙂

  40. thank you, koala… i love you so much. i’ve been reading so many recaps about TK2H, but there’s no other recap better than yours. you have a very good writing quality. do you write in columns or journals? cos you surely have the talent.
    i don’t understand why the rating of this drama is not on the top anymore when the casts, storyline, cinematography, and the editing are loads of awesome. i watch RP and i like it too. but the one which definitely make me go addicted is TK2H.

  41. A million thanks for the wonderful recap . Although I tried not to think of the ratings, I do feel sad that the drama is not getting the recognition it deserves. It is heartening however, to read the positive comments about LSGi’s acting and that he has found himself many new fans. LSGi, HJW and TK2H, fighting!

  42. This drama is awesome!!! Lee Seung Gi’s acting is amazing!!! Love love love every scenes with him simply to see how he conveys all his emotions through his facial expressions!

    • He’s really good at portraying the inherent loneliness of being THE man at the top of the pyramid.
      When you think about it, there really isn’t better training for royalty than being a pop idol.
      He and Micky are doing well with their roles, with the power nod to LSG and the comedy nod to Micky.

  43. Dear ockoala,

    Thank you for your lovely recaps, for taking time off your hectic schedule to do all these for us, even though you don’t really have to.

    This comment is for you and you alone, thanks once again! ^__^

    P.S: I’m a newly-minted LSG fan too, my official fangirl journey for him started from ‘2 Days and 1 Night’. 🙂

  44. Thank you very much for your detailed recaps, and fitting all that work in for us despite your busy schedule.
    So grateful for everything – the photos, the mid-week updates, the early week updates – TA!

    Right after seeing the King sleeping in HA’s bed, I concluded they had done it.. As craziluver pointed out, he was shirtless, which of course = had sex.
    But, after reading Christine’s comment about the “did they or didn’t they?” I also agree with her.

    It would have been completely out of place for the audience to be sighing over a sweet love scene when we are crying our eyes out over JK- King’s passing, so if they did it, it makes sense not to show it.

    BUT, we can’t forget the fact that HA is a virgin.This makes me think that as much as JH-King needed her to comfort him in that way, his demonstrated gentlemanly behavior towards her so far tells me he would have held back. Let’s be honest here, the first time would NOT have been easy for the couple, we know JH takes the easy way when he has a choice.
    In the state that he is in now, does he have all the patience and tenderness needed to initiate a 30 year old virgin? I don’t think so. Plus, HA has shown how vulnerable she is to him, loves him more than he loves her, and their first time would affect her way more than what we saw the morning after.

    Points to Show for keeping us guessing!
    I really hope we don’t have a pregnancy to deal with later. That takes the wind out of any dramatic possibility sails, don’t you think? How can our assassin fiance be fighting off bad guys with her kick-ass-ness if we are to think she is with child? As someone who has miscarried, it ALWAYS makes me nervous when our characters get pregnant suddenly. I can’t help but watch what they are eating, hoping they are getting their folic acid, vit A and E, and drinking enough milk!!!! I worry, I do.

    Koala, I am with you bigtime on fangirling LSG12. In my Kdrama FB group, I MINEd him, and made the ladies promise not to laugh at me. (They laughed.)
    I had LSG firmly in the “You must be kidding?” level of attractiveness because of his wholesomeness. Now, I sigh. I love. I can’t stop thinking about his shoulders….

    • Ok, so I’ve been watching Brilliant Legacy on and off and omg LSG looks like a baby there!! haha, he’s adorable and mastered the ‘sighing and shutting his eyes’ to show his frustration! He’s grown: both acting-wise and physically!! *cough cough* (did I just say that?!) Did you mention The shoulders!!! While he was in HA’s arms crying his heart out I was totally checking the shoulders and arms! *fans self* He looks really delicious in a crisp formal shirt and am glad he’s not the flowerboy/skinny types!! *giggles incessantly*

      Now that the fangirling’s out of the way I am thinking the writers will have HA preggers/miscarry (apparently MBC’s been leaking little details!!). While I didn’t want them to go this route I feel like it’ll raise the stakes….we KNOW that HA will return to NK for a bit and am pretty sure (at least I hope) that she either won’t know or will keep it to herself after everybody throws her under the bus!! While all of us are dreading the impending misery HA’ll go through I DO have to say at least we’ll get to know how JH feels. Thus far, he’s been wishy-washy wrt how he feels and also being insensitive to her….he’s been going through the motions!! Now when HA will be blamed with all that planted evidence pointing fingers at NK….it’ll have JH at the forefront….if he believes in her, the angst he’ll go through and how strongly he feels towards her!! So, I’m curious to see that and the grovelling!!

      Can somebody tell me in Ep 9 preview: when HA’s wiping her tears what does JH tell her?!! I’m dying to know….

      • The shoulders in the sweater on the bed with HA’s hand exactly where I wanted mine to be. Something so simply and so freaking manly. My husband is about a foot taller than me, so I know I am attracted to largeness. And LSG is proving he can be very large in this drama.
        This photography team knows full well what they are doing to us female viewers, and I love them for it.

    • OMG.. I was totally jaw dropping to the floor when I read your comment. You have spoken my mind… I’ve been thinking exactly the same condition. It’s all about bringing the stale to another notch.. by keeping us all guessing to death.. ok ok.. I’ll take it though, eventhough I can barely barely stand the painful feeling in my body and soul for the necessity of waiting for the next episode.. God please help me to endure this!!!!!

    • “I can’t help but watch what they are eating, hoping they are getting their folic acid, vit A and E, and drinking enough milk!!!! I worry, I do”

      heheheh you are so funny! I know what you mean though…we mummies do the same thing eh. Anyway yes dont know whether they did it or not, but i suspect….yes. I dont think necessarily the first time is always awkward…sometimes due the feelings behind it, it becomes very very natural and Hang Ah’s main thought would be “:whatever it takes to stop my man’s tears” and she’d just go with the flow.. and do you think there’s a slight possessiveness afterwards- like “i owned this man”? This girl got enough backbone to not lose control…she won’t be trampled on i dont think

      yes, love LSG in this- itsnot that HJW looksyoung (although she does)- its that LSG steps up to be the over 30 years old King . He looks the part, seriously.

      When is that epi 9 coming again??

  45. Thank you Ms. K for your hardwork in publishing a double-header of recaps. Luv this drama. To those wondering about the poor reception of TK2H among So. Korean viewers, well this might explain some of it. I am from the States and found this in my in-box:

    credit: NRO Newsletters . . .Morning Jolt. . . with Jim Geraghty

    April 13, 2012

    North Korea launched a multistage rocket Friday morning, again defying countries that want it to stop pursuing advanced weapons, but it reportedly blew up less than two minutes into flight and parts crashed in the Yellow Sea off South Korea.

    The rocket took off around 7:39 a.m. local time from a new launch facility in the country’s northwest corner and flew south towards Japan’s Ryuku Islands, the Philippines, Indonesia and Australia.

    About 90 seconds into flight, roughly the time its first stage should have burned out and second stage kicked in, the rocket flared brightly and apparently exploded, according to ABC News, which cited U.S. defense officials. Parts fell into water near South Korea’s Jeju Island, South Korean media reported.

  46. I am rewatching the episodes again and again and I cry every time…

    There is one thing that I forgot to comment on…
    Seung Gi oppa really has the flair of a king especially when he was questioning Secretary Eun about his brother’s “accident”…
    After he kicked the table in frastration, with his back facing Secretary Eun, he told Secretary Eun that he should receive punishment for his mistakes in a low tone… hearing his words, my hearts shivered… it was the voice of a dictator!
    I was startled and amazed again… Seung Gi oppa really is daebak!

  47. hhhhhh.. sigh sigh sigh… I hate to say this since this is not what I hope from the couple that I ship so hard more than to my Chanel bag, YES I do think they did have sex . Although the fact that the bed condition is still pretty neat and there was no sign of Jae Ha’s tossed clothes on the floor, I still think the Screenwriter wanted us to assume they did. One key sign : Kim Hang Ah’s way of gazing to sleeping Jae Ha. That look.. is screaming surrender and vulnerable combined. That was my look too…. in this case, if it is really is what I think it is, than I’m honestly a bit shock by it. My wish is for Hang Ah to not being pregnant, or is she must.. no miscarriage please…

  48. 2 thoughts came on in my head during the bed scene: Hallelujah they did….right? then 5 seconds later…did they use protection?

  49. I have been so sidetrack with we got married but this otp( still dont know what that stand for but going to use it anyway) have brought me back to dramaland, and i am suck in the quicksand of addiction. Wednesday and thursday come to me now!!!! I command thee!!

  50. Oh yeah, one thing which I noted and was once again amazed by the writers’ ability:

    I just felt that the JaeHa and JaeShin are sooo alike!!! And it just makes them a lovely brother and sister pair!

    Remember what JaeHa said as HangAh treated his wounded leg during the 60km run… then JaeShin said the same thing as HangAh slapped her and straightened her up! It sooo cute and its these little details that make me hooked onto this drama!

    Love TK2H!!!

  51. I am so behind reading recaps but I always do, they help with my viewing experience, maybe because it is a drama on a language I don’t understand so a lot of things pass above me or simply because you are an amazing writer and I love to read your impressions. One opinion though and I have to admit I saw episode 10 already I could say that the bed scene wasn’t as romantic as we might wanted because of the tragedy that follows, obviously they have to retake it once all the dangerous situations are controlled and they could have some time to be together as a couple, then we might get that romantic scene that we wanted. In any case I love this recap. Thanks. This drama is so good in so many levels. I think it is the right drama for me.

  52. *Gasp!* I just had this thought that we probably wouldn’t get any more sizzling make-out scenes anymore cos JH is now the King, and it wouldn’t be respectfully regal to depict the bedroom shenanigans of the royal couple, would it? It was ok when he was the irresponsible prince and she the gutsy soldier, but it’d be like showing what Barack and Michelle do behind closed doors, or William and Kate. Icky. (Plus it’d open a mega can of feminist worms no matter who’s on top…) I think we can only hope for tender looks, meaningful glances, and the occasional kiss from now on… =(

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