King Flower ended today and I feel a sense of relief and nostalgia already. I really do need a crazy crack drama at least once a year or it’s like a itch I can’t scratch. KF has fit that bill completely, making me crazy addicted and totally at its mercy. Episode 21 pissed me off to no end when I first watched it, but in writing this baby recap I realized it really was the only thing the production company could do. It gave everyone the Da Hua-Terry ending that was the only logical conclusion, but did so in a way that at least didn’t rub it all over James Wen‘s and his fans faces as his character meandered through the final episode and exited stage left as pointlessly as he existed in this entire drama. This wasn’t a open ending, but it also didn’t pile on the Da Hua-Terry fanservice sweetness that would have been the hallmark of how most OTPs get sent off in TW-dramas. But you know what? I’ve calmed down enough to be fine with it, because Terry continued to own this last episode as thoroughly as he’s owned the entire drama.
Chris Wu has stolen many a drama as the second lead but I don’t think anything can ever top what he did here. In the end nothing made sense but him, and some of his dialogue in the last episode had me near tears. Again. @Mystisith and I were chatting on Twitter as I watched episode 21 and she said James Wen “fell on a genius who could make you cry while reading the phone book.” So true, and ultimately it was so satisfying for the fans while the narrative suffered and the main lead became relegated to the third lead. Watching episode 21 I laughed at all the product placements (again), coo’d over the perfection that was Terry (always) especially how gorgeous he looked at the end on the plane with his new hairstyle, and then blissfully soaked up how a good 10 minutes of this episode was a montage of all the Da Hua-Terry moments from the first 20 episodes. Good lord does this production know how to fill up time. This is just a baby recap to tide everyone over but look out because I have tons of feels and thoughts so the recap for this sucker is going to be EPIC. Or at least I will try, and I can’t succeed-fail on the same extreme bipolar levels that the writers of KF did, right?
Baby recap for episode 21:
Da Hua goes to return the ring to Terry and apologize for the runaway bride routine. He tells her not to apologize, he was the one who called off the wedding and gave her time to think. She asks him to stop being so considerate towards her and to get angry at her. He can’t, because he loves her, so he doesn’t have the heart to yell at her. His exact words are “我舍不得”, which breaks my heart because he says he can’t bear chastising her. She tells him she’s not worth it but he says she is and this is the only way he knows how to love her. He finally yells asking what she wants him to do then! She starts crying and he hugs her, telling her not to feel bad because she did nothing wrong. There is no right and wrong in love, and he knew that she hadn’t yet let Lin Guan Jun fully go. But what can he do, he’s fallen in love with her already. He tells her that he will give her as much time as she needs and he will wait for her. They part and each reminisces about the other, with Da Hua having her own Terry-moment when she imagines that he’s calling her name and she turns around but he’s not there. These two – why waste time apart when they can be rolling in the sack. At least Liang Yen knew that much.
Three months pass and Da Hua is puttering through life. A fun and nice sequence with Terry and Qin Mo rocking climbing shows us that he’s doing well, living his life even without her, and hanging out with his crazy BFF the good doctor. A gratuitous shower scene follows of the two guys chatting about their school days. I approve. Then we see that Terry is still wearing his wedding ring with Da Hua! Silly man, but that is why we love you so much. Qin Mo asks what he’s doing to do and Terry wants to go travel a bit. When asked if he still keeps in touch with Da Hua, Terry says no, if they are fated they will meet again. He sincerely believes that. When he leaves the cafe, Da Hua walks by to deliver flowers but a truck blocks them from seeing each other, but they both sense the other and turn around. Da Hua runs into Qin Mo inside the cafe and she offers to buy him this meal, as thanks for the plastic surgery which changed her life. Qin Mo asks if she keeps in touch with Terry and she says no, if they are fated they will meet again. Qin Mo points out that Terry was just here and said the exact same thing to his same question.
Da Hua decides to go travel and work in Australia for a year. Guan Jun, who tried to quit his job working for Hu Jing Biao but the guy really wants to keep Guan Jun for his ability and won’t force him to date Xiao Fei, is the first to support Da Hua. They both vow to mature even more personally and professionally when they see each other in a year. Terry meets with Johnson and hands him the reins to the company, deciding to be the person to break their competition and bring some peace to the family since the company’s success is good for both sides of the Ouyang clan. Cheng Hong can tells Terry misses Da Hua and encourages him to do everything in his power to get her back. Terry wants to but he’s actually scared, he’s scared that even if she tells him point blank that she doesn’t love him, he will still always love her and be unable to let her go. So he wants to give her time to think and accept any decision she makes.
Da Hua leaves for Australia and the night before she writes multiple texts to Terry but doesn’t send it. In one she asks if she can be his bride again after she comes back in a year, and feels like she doesn’t have the right to love him because of what she did to hurt him. Terry comes to the store and stands outside her window, smiling up at her and in the end he says goodbye. Da Hua goes to the airport and is sad Guan Jun didn’t come send her off. A life-size Grey Bear comes to send her off and inside is Guan Jun. They wish each other well and hug goodbye. As Da Hua boards the airplane, she drops her Grey Bear and Terry picks it up on the aisle. He’s on the same plane as her and it really is by coincidence since he didn’t know she was leaving. A montage of all their shippy moments flash by and they smile at each other (and hold up the aisle for the poor passengers waiting to get seated). The plane takes off with the voiceover of both of them that if its meant to be they will see each other again.
I’m glad that there’s an implicit Terry-DH ending. Chris Wu has been pushing an engine-less train all the way to the end and he’s been magnificent.
The best stories are the ones where you have stepped into a moment of time and your reality ceases to exist. The best writers are invisible and in this drama, the writers became the punching bag. So sad. It’s hard to believe these people also penned the beautiful Terry.
I’m looking forward to watching this episode but a part of me is also relieved because I don’t think I could have continued to sustain the emotional highs and lows. Like you, Miz Koala, I’ve made my peace with this drama.
Looking forward to your analysis recap!
I am so exhausted too. I am glad it’s over. Addictions can make you crazy. I watched without subs and wasn’t satisfied with the ending ….I don’t think anything would have satisfied except Terry and DH in a passionate liplock with the tongues moving….like OG…tho’ I thought that scene was a bit funny…..not kiss for many episodes and than make out infront of everyone in a chruch!! But now I know that I have read the mini recap….I think I like the ending.
I loved the shower scenes with the two besties. It’s nice for grounded Terry to have a crazy ass friend.
Surprisingly I loved that scene between Terry and his cousin. Had no idea what they were saying at that time but I knew they were making up. It’s so nice not to fight and be family.
This drama… sigh.
I feel so bad for James Wen, but Guan Jun was absolutely insufferable from episode 1 *shrugs*
I’ll wait for your epic recap, Koala <3
Me Too. Can’t wait for your recap. I know it is going to be awesome. Hope in the next drama will be te male lead.
me 3. Waiting for the epic recap. We addicts need to talk. It’s like AAA.
I feel a bit dissapointed with the ending. At least one kiss where DH is willing was to much to ask for, ne? Okay, nothing really changed except DH finally realized the love she got from Terry. Finally.
Terry in Economy class?
Terry quit his job a the company so now he can only sit in economy class. LOL!!!
I couldn’t believe he took economy but guess this is just one more of the things that didn’t make sense in this whole drama! What a waste of all the acting talent!
21 whole hours of a lack of plot I shouldn’t be surprised by this blah ending. Im not watching any more Settv dramas cause miss rose and king flower were both too long and a waste of my time.
So does this mean that Terry actually ends up with Da Hua? or does she end up alone? or will come back to Guan Jun in a year?
Thank you for baby recap Koala. At least we sort of got the ending we wanted.
SETTV didn’t make it obvious like in neon letters, but Da Hua and Terry are the end game. They spent all of episode 21 missing each other, DH tells Ah Xi and Da Li that she’s made her choice, and later she types up those texts to Terry she doesn’t send asking if she can be his bride again when she comes back in a year. She has clearly 100% admitted that she loves him and her and Guan Jun are back being the close siblings they were in the beginning of the drama. DH just doesn’t have the guts to reach out to Terry because she feels so bad about what she did to him. So she chooses to leave for a year and try something new. And they run into each other on the plane, and Terry has never stopped loving her but is giving her space until she can decide. In the end she’s already decided and the fate bit is just the little push they needed to find each other again.
Just watched ep 21 and u r right…she admitted that she has made her choice. A great ep if u want to recap the terry-dh moments. Chris Wu really emotes his feelings well!!
I haven’t watched ep 21 as I hate open ending. So I read your recap, Ms. K. and yet, I hate to say this it’s SUCK!!! That’s it, “The plane takes off with the voiceover of both of them that if its meant to be they will see each other again.” So what??? Nothing show Terry end up with DH explicitly, we just have to think that they would if they were fated. No sweet moments!!!! Excuse me but really… Gosh dawn it!!!
We just have to imagine that when they arrived in Australia …they checked into a hotel and made mad love.
Lol, Sophie your version is the one I’m sticking with! 🙂
Hahaha!!! I’ll buy this thought too Sophie…. If it were the case, it would shut mouth up in good time…
So this leaves it open for a Terry movie where we get to see them married, with kids, living together in harmony except for in-laws who create some financial crisis that Terry will need to solve. Maybe like a vacation trip together with the whole extended family and we get to see how Terry’s family really hates DH’s family.
Julia, this version sounds good too…
I understand why DH does what she does — she really has either low-esteem or she feels bad about what she did. But still! They are going to depend on fate instead of their own bravery/courage? What kind of message does that give out to young folks of today’s generation? *sniff* But I guess in a way it makes sense and it’s not a sugar-coated glycerin filled ending. That’s fine. It’s a Terry-DH ending and it’s up to them when they want to make it happen — every couple needs it time. My only question is… uh… what about the last 21 episodes?!!! or at least the last 10 would’ve been enough 🙂
Honestly, I stopped caring after watching the first ten minutes of the episode. I started fast forwarding and then when I got to the very end and saw Terry’s new hairstyle, I PAUSED IT. OH GOSH HE’S HOT.
noo. Chris Wu is hot. I melted.
Thank goodness for this final pairing! On a side note, am i the only one who cannot stand the acting of the dude who plays QingMo? His role was actually quite important, acting as the catalyst for DaHau’s transformation and the D+T relationship. BUT, man, his acting is like nails on a chalkboard for me. Maybe I’m getting old and I start noticing all these acting “flaws”, but I don’t remember ever seeing an actor this sucky. I want to fast-forward every time I hear him speak.
Thank you.
At this point I can close this chapter of my life. Man, your addiction and everyone’s addiction/obsession was making me addicted as well.
At least my curses will be muted.
Yeah go jump into bed why don’t you? If he could live with LY I can’t see why those 2 can’t do kissy kissies.
Likewise here ck10z, I starts watching this in past few days and abandon everything else but got mad and disappointed at this open ending…
What ever will I do without Terry now that KF has ended:(.
hey Koala sis, am i later for the spazzing? lols. 🙂
with all it’s deficiencies,i still love KF and that’ mainly because of Terry and the ending is still good. 🙂
thank you so much. 🙂