HWARANG -- EPISODE 8

? If you're happy and you know it clap your hands. ?

Ah Ro has the expected reaction to Moo Myung's gaffe, playing it cool and tearfully stalking off. The next morning brings punishment for sneaking out, but Wi Ha has indigestion and sprays the contents of his stomach on the boys carrying his litter. After her false grope accusation, Soo Yeon feels guilty and pens a letter to Ban Ryu ("Please survive?" Really?). Ah Ro admits to Soo Yeon that she has a thing for Moo Myung. The Queen still has fainting spells, and as he treats her, Ahn Ji remembers the conversation he had with Minister Park, where the old man promised to kill the Queen slowly.  Ahn Ji suspects poison.

Ah Ro returns to find her space lavishly appointed, courtesy of Jinheung. She's not happy. That afternoon, the boys get taught to fight, and get owned by the instructor.  Minister Park believes that Moo Myung has seen the face of the king, and asks him who it is, but Dog-Bird keeps his mouth shut. The Hwarang are set to perform the music at the Thanksgiving parade. Moo Myung's mentor is the star instructor for this. The boys continue to practice fighting and music 'til they master the sword dance. A frank discussion with Moo Myung's mentor convinces Ah Ro that Moo Myung is not her brother...


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I'm not sure how I feel about the goosing of Ban Ryu as a major plot point. I know that most anywhere, in any time period, that kind of thing is frowned upon. Not only that, but Soo Yeon turned it into something deadly serious. But I'm torn between blasting the writers for wasting time and congratulating them for considering the larger ramifications of an act like that.

And finally, maybe, a resolution to Ah Ro's brother issues. True, we've been tricked before, but I think this might be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back (yay!). It was getting a little old. Now this opens it up for a romantic triangle that has been slowly forming regardless of the pseudo-family ties. It's a classic case: Jinheung loves her, and she likes Moo Myung. And I'd love to hear his answer to her question: "Who are you?"


Fan service. Ladies, you can thank the writers by post at 467 Ponji, Yaum-dong, Ulsan-si, Kyongsangnamdo, South Korea *No, that's not a real address

Which is a good question; who is he? We know he was fostered along with Mak Moon. We know that he earned the nickname "Dog-Bird" because he had the characteristics of both animals. We don't know who his real father is, or, frankly, his mother. His mentor was complaining that it wasn't time for him to be unleashed on to the world, but why? Who or what is he? What secret does he hide?

Wi Ha is seriously cracking me up. He's doing what any man released from prison and given that kind of power would do -- he's enjoying himself. He has a dry sense of humor, which probably endears me to him even more. Seems like his diet might be a bit too rich for him, given his digestive issues. They've kind of played it out, though. He has only one bodily function left un-displayed, and I don't wanna see that.


No man! You're supposed to give the girl a piggyback ride, not your buddy!

This show is finally getting good. I've been waiting for that. It was much hyped, only to fall flat in a lot of ways. Well, I think they've gotten over their awkward stage, and now we can get on with the meat of the story. If there was any drama that needed a script doctor it was this one. I can say it didn't really get too boring, but there were some cringeworthy moments. But there's the occasional glimmer of genius, like the flowers falling in slo-mo, hitting the ground with a thud -- a ton of gravitas there.  I think in the first half, they were trying to introduce us to the characters, and IMHO there were better and faster ways to do that. At least we're finally getting somewhere.

What do you guys think? Let me know!

Score

Plot........................8
Performance..........7
Pacing...................8

OVERALL............7.6

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