5.16 - Episode 16 of Mr. Queen

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 16 of Mr. Queen, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Shin Hye-sun as Kim So-yong, Kim Jyung-hun as King Cheoljong, Seol In-ah as Jo Hwa-jin, Na In-woo as Kim Byeong-in, and Choi Jin-hyuk as Jang Bong-hwan. We also talk about the Donghak Rebels. We discuss:

• The songs we feature in this episode: Palace by Howl and Bong Hwan-a by Norajo.
• Why we think the queen hasn’t admitted to the king that she is the girl who saved him from the well eight years ago.
• How the queen has decided to go “all in” with the king, even though Jang Bong-hwan knows the course of history and he knows that King Cheoljong was a terrible king, who died without an heir and without a legacy.
• How the queen has allied herself with the king in a big way: she is teaching him about the future and she teaches him about military tactics from the future.
• How Jo Hwa-jin’s confession was pivotal to this episode: she admits to the king that the children’s workbook belongs to Kim So-yong, and she found the ledger and gave it to the Dowager Queen.
• Jo Hwa-jin’s confession means a permanent rupture with the king and a closer relationship between the king and the queen.
• More information about the book The Mourning Bride by William Congreve.
• How maybe Prince Yeongpyeong has also betrayed the king by not telling him about the ledger and Jo Hwa-jin.
• The queen is back in the kitchen, thank goodness. She learns how to make Yihwaju wine.
• How Kim Byeong-in hasn’t given up on the queen, even though she tells him he’s just not the one.
• The K Drama elements in this episode, including Kim Byeong-in’s drinking, the queen and her ramen, the butterfly on the sliding doors at the end, and Jo Hwa-jin’s confession.
• How the queen is taking a chance when she says she’s “all in” with the king.
• How Jang Bong-hwan finds himself in an impossible situation when it’s announced that the queen is pregnant.
• A little information about the Donghak rebels

References

• All In song by Victor Ma
• Donghak Peasant Rebellion from Wikipedia