The King: Eternal Monarch Episode 15 Recap
2019-Korea
Tae Eul tells Lee Gon that he really came to Gwanghwamun. Lee Gon gives her an odd look as she says he is also wearing a jacket with lot of buttons. Lee Gon says that it is strange that she seems to know him.
Tae Eul says they should skip that. She says if she doesn’t do this now she may possibly regret it later. Tae Eul steps forward and hugs Lee Gon. Lee Gon looks surprised as he stands there.
Tae Eul’s voiceover narrates, “When it is fate, there are no coincidences. It is inevitable by nature, but when you realise its meaning, it’s always too late.”
KOREA-2020
Tae-eul is lying on the sidewalk holding her wound. Her father calls her up and thanks her for tipping him off about the people following him. He says he beat them up. Tae Eul seems confused. Her father asks if she is okay as her voice is cracking up. She says she is fine. After her father hangs up Tae Eul passes out. Some people find her and call the ambulance.
Shin Jae is at the hospital with his doppelganger. He is on the phone with Jo who says that Shin Jae’s mother met Song Jeong Hye. Shin jae asks why Jo was tailing his mother. Jo tells Shin Jae to check the CCTV cameras at Grace Heritage Hotel and track her from there. He asks if Shin Jae will help him.
Just then, Shin Jae receives a call from the 2G phone. He recalls the nurse saying that Shin Jae will receive a call soon. Shin jae answers it.
Later, Shin Jae stands before Lee Lim. Lee Lim addresses him as Kang Heong min. Shin Jae recognises Lee Lim from when he spoke to him in Corea as a child (where his mother left him). Shin jae asks how Lee Lim looks the same. Lee Lim says that is why he thought that he had lot of time. Lee Lim says now that he thinks about it, that was the first crack. He says Lee Gon was just a baby then, but now he has grown up and caught up with him.
Shin jae cuts him off and asks him what he wants. Lee Lim slams a piece of wood over Shin jae’s head. Shin jae falls down. Blood trickles down his face as Lee Lim says Shin jae has to repay him for the life Lee Lim gave him. He throws the photos of Shin jae’s mothers (both in Korea and Corea) beside Shin jae. He says one mother was deceived all her life (Korea) and the other one deceived all her life (Corea Park su-jin). Lee Lim says that the lives of both his mothers depend upon him (Shin jae).
Shin jae looks up and asks what Lee Lim wants. Lee Lim asks Shin Jae to bring him Lee Gon’s whip. He says it would be better if Shin Jae kills Lee Gon in the process. Shin jae asks for a normal deal. He says he is not that devoted a son. Lee Gon says he is sure Shin Jae is affectionate. Lee Lim steps over the photos and walks away.
In a flashback in COREA, Shin jae’s mother Park Suk jin (Min Seong Yeong) and young Kang Heon Min (Shin jae) are standing by the bridge. Park says they should die together and Shin jae cries. She tries to lift him and throw him over the bride but Shin Jae starts crying as he resists. Just then, a car comes to stop beside them. Park Suk jin asks the man to leave and not mind them. Lee Lim gets out of the car and walks towards them.
Lee Lim says her name is Min Seong Yeong. She stops pushing Heon min and she becomes quiet. Lee Lim holds out a document with her thumbprint. She holds Heon min close saying she has time till tomorrow to pay the due. Lee Lim asks if she prayed. He asks her to give her life to him instead of throwing it away. He says he will give her and her son a new life. He says she will work at the palace under the name of Park Suk jin. He says her son will have a rich father.
Min Seong Yeong starts yelling at him but suddenly recognises him as Prince Imperial Lee Lim. He leans forward and asks her to just nod if she agrees. Min Seong Yeong looks at her son for a moment. She vigorously nods in agreement.
At present, Shin jae is on the floor staring at both the photos on the floor.
At the cafe, Lee Lim sits across Na-ri who is reading his palm. She says his scar (where young Lee Gon slashed Lee Lim’s hand holding the flute) connected with his fate line and became his new fate. He asks what is his fate. She says his fate is to commit treason and die by beheading.
Lee Lim recalls himself back in 1994 killing his future self from 2020.
Lee Lim says that fate has already passed and that he himself participated in the beheading. He says it was foolish of himself to do so. He says she should have trusted himself and killed the crown prince.
Just then, Eun sup walks in. He is jealous that Na-ri is holding another man’s hand and comments that it looks cheesy. Eun Sup finds Lee Lim familiar. He racks his brain and figures out that he has seen Lee Lim at the shootout back in Corea (where Eun sup got shot).
Eun sup immediately pulls Na-ri towards him and stands in front of her shielding her. Lee Lim confirms that he was at the shootout. Lee Lim asks Eun sup to relay a message to Lee Gon, his Nephew. He says he doesn’t know where Lee Gon is hiding right now. Lee Lim says he wants to see Lee Gon on the death anniversary of his mother. He says he will be attending the memorial mass. Lee Lim threatens to visit Na-ri again if Lee Gon doesn’t come to meet him at the mass.
Lee Lim walks out. Na-ri asks who is that guy. Eun sup spots Tae Eul (Luna) walking into the premises. He runs to her and says Lee Lim was here. Luna gives a disturbed look. Just then, Shin Jae walks in and Luna asks what happened to his forehead. He asks her why she is here when she was stabbed. Eun sup asks her what happened.
Luna clutches her abdomen on the right and says she will go inside. Shin jae says the injury is on her left and not on the right. She tries to walk away but Shin jae catches hold of her.
Just then Tae Eul walks in limping. Na-ri is shocked to see both Tae Eul and Luna together. Tae Eul asks Eun sup to take care of Na-ri. Tae Eul asks what happened to Shin jae’s forehead. Luna says she already asked him but he didn’t answer. Tae Eul tells her to shut up and punches Luna on the face.
Later Luna sits before Jo in handcuffs in the abandoned building. Tae Eul and Shin jae are also there. Luna tells him that they are from the same country. Jo says she would have been dead by now if he saw her there. Jo asks if Lee Lim told her to poison the King. Shin Jae finds painkillers prescribed for last stage of cancer in Luna’s bags. Luna confirms that she has cancer and is going to die soon.
Tae Eul asks to speak privately with Luna. Jo and Shin jae leave the two.
Tae Eul asks Luna if she didn’t hit her organs while stabbing her because she needed it and asks if Luna needs a kidney or a liver. Luna says it is true. She says there isn’t even a hint of anxiety in Tae Eul’s eyes. Tae Eul asks if Luna was the one who tipped off her father yesterday about the thugs. Tae Eul asks why Luna didn’t kill her. Luna says she didn’t want to upset Tae Eul’s father.
Tae Eul asks what Luna spoke with her father when she visited Tae Eul’s house in Tae Eul’s absence. Luna says they spoke about food, money and work. She says they spoke only about Tae eul. Tae Eul comments that sitting like this; it feels like she is looking into a mirror. She asks Luna to speak about herself. Luna says Tae Eul is very sentimental. Tae Eul tucks her hair behind her ear and simultaneously Luna does the same, just like a mirror image (looks like Tae Eul is right handed and Luna left-handed). Just then, time stops.
Lee Gon runs through the frozen time and runs into the Police station. He sees Jang Mi standing frozen in time. Time starts moving again and Jang Mi is startled seeing Lee Gon there. He asks who he is. Lee Gon looks at the calendar and is relieved to see that he is back in April, 2020. He asks for Tae Eul and says his name is Lee Gon.
Tae Eul waits outside the hospital. The nurse says she needs rest. Tae Eul says she is waiting for someone. Tae Eul looks behind the nurse and she sees a figure running towards her. He eyes tear up as she says, “He’s here. He’s over there”.
She walks towards him as he runs towards her and hugs her. Tae Eul cries as he holds her in his arms. Lee Gon asks, “How have you been? Have you been waiting for me?” Tae Eul holds him tight and says, “I missed you. I missed you so much.”Lee Gon says, “I am sorry. I am sorry that I keep making you wait.”
Later, Tae Eul sits on her hospital bed. She holds Lee Gon’s hand and he sits beside her. She tells him not to go. He says he won’t. She tells him not to go tomorrow either. He says he won’t. He helps her lie down. She says he will go away when she falls asleep. He says he won’t and asks her if she wants proof. He lies down in the bed next to her and she lies on his arm.
Tae Eul comments that he is in the same clothes. He says he wanted to change but he had no money for clothes. She says she was happy he came to see her when she was 5 and 27 years old. Lee Gon says he was happy that she hugged him when they met at Gwanghwamun. Tae Eul says she thought he was crazy for the first two times he came to see her. Lee Gon says he thought his first two visits would have been endearing. He says he didn’t think she would ask him for his ID again. Tae Eul asks him if he remembers what happened to them after that (after he changed their past).
Tae Eul’s voiceover narrates, “Unlike the first time, I believed half of his claims about being the King of the Kingdom of Corea. I understood the concept of parallel worlds a bit faster (Lee gon and Tae Eul are in the library together) and went to his world a little earlier. I still bought flower seeds and scattered them and decided to embrace my fate a little earlier (Lee Gon cooks for her in his normal clothes). But what was bound to happen, happened anyway (Tae Eul escapes from Lee Lim and Lee Gon comes and saves her from Lee Lim’s men). Ironically, the tragedy came earlier as well.”
Tae Eul wears the black jacket and she puts her hair tie in it.
Lee Gon says, “The fate did not change. Is there no way for us to change fate?” Tae Eul says, “I’m sure there isn’t. There is no way to change fate so easily. The larger the fate, the more you need to walk to reach your destination. We haven’t reached our destination yet.”Lee Gon smiles and asks her to get some sleep. She says no.
Later, Lee Gon lies beside Tae Eul watching her sleep.
Lee Gon calls up Jo from the payphone outside the hospital. After sometime Jo and Shin jae run up to him. Shin Jae recalls calling him from the payphone in 2016 while Jo recalls Lee gon speaking to him at the racecourse. Lee Gon says he has arrived at the correct year. He says Jo and Shin jae have aged a bit. Shin jae asks if Lee Gon can even travel back in time now.
Jo says it is a relief that Lee gon is all right. Jo says he found Song Jeong Hye with a lot of help from Shin jae. Lee Gon says he has a lot to repay Shin Jae. Shin jae asks Lee gon to repay him for the food and ride. Lee Gon asks him what he wants. Shin Jae says, “Your life” and Jo frowns. Lee Gon says that Shin Jae would have met Lee Lim. Lee Gon asks if Lee Lim asked Shin jae to kill him.
Shin jae asks if Lee Gon would die for him. He says it would be better if Lee Gon dies in Corea. Lee Gon says killing a King would be difficult. He says killing someone without and identity is easier. Shin Jae says Lee Gon will have a lot of mourners at the funeral if he dies in Corea. He leaves after asking Lee Gon to call him while he is leaving.
Lee Gon asks Jo about Song Jeong Hye.
Later, Jo shows Lee Gon the house where Seong Jeong Hye is being kept. He says Lee Lim isn’t here yet. Lee Gon tells Jo to keep watch and find Lee Lim’s route to the bamboo forest. Jo says he got a call from Eun sup saying he met Lee Lim. Jo says Lee Lim mentioned the memorial mass of the Late Queen. Jo says Song Jeong Hye will go to the church in 20 minutes. He says there is always someone watching her.
Just then, Lee Gon notices Song Jeong Hye walking down the road with the guard. Lee Gon watches as Song Jeong Hye walks past them. She stops walking and starts walking towards Lee Gon. The guard stops her but she threatens to scream.
Song Jeong Hye walks upto Lee Gon and asks if he is Lee Lim’s nephew. She says Lee Gon’s face is the same as Lee Ji Hun’s. She says her Ji Hun would have grown up just like Lee Gon if he was alive. She says Ji Hun died because of Lee Gon. She says it looks like Lee Gon will die because of her. She says that is the reason Lee Lim kept her alive.
Just then, the guard draws out his knife and walks towards them. Jo disarms the man and points his gun at him. Jo calls up Shin Jae and says he needs help.
Lee Gon asks Song Jeong Hye if she will be okay. He says he thinks Lee Lim is planning to take Song Jeong Hye there on the queen’s death anniversary memorial. He says if she goes to another world, she can’t come back. Lee Gon says he will help her. She asks him to come two days before the anniversary. She says she knows the date too. Lee Gon apologises to her. Song Jeong Hye says there is no point in saying that since it doesn’t change the fact that her son died because of Lee Gon. She tells Lee Gon not to die because of her. She says she isn’t his mother.
Jo and Lee Gon walk down the road. Jo says he will come and escort Lee Gon later. He asks when Lee Gon is leaving. Lee gon turns around and looks at JO.
Later at the hospital room, Lee Gon dries tae Eul’s hair. She holds his shirt while he uses the hair drier.
After sometime, Lee Gon waits at the lobby. The nurse asks for Tae Eul’s guardian. Lee Gon says he is the guardian and walks towards Tae Eul who smiles at him.
Lee Gon’s voiceover says, “Jo Yeong, just for today. Just until she can wash her face on her own.”
Lee Gon takes Tae Eul (in her wheelchair) out for some fresh air. Tae Eul says she should thank Luna for stabbing her. She says she gets to spend more time with Lee Gon because of it. Lee Gon ruffles Tae Eul’s hair and tells her not to say that. He says he was startled when he heard she was stabbed.
Tae Eul smiles and asks him to put her hair back to how it was. She says her hairstyle is what makes her pretty. Lee Gon crouches beside her and straightens her hair. Tae Eul leans in and kisses him on his forehead.
Later, Tae Eul and Lee Gon sit in the church. Lee Gon asks what she prayed for. She says she didn’t pray, but threatened Him. She says she told Him to stop being so harsh. Tae Eul says she asked if they really had God’s blessing. She puts out her hand and he takes it.
Back in the hospital, Lee Gon asks a kid to help him order food through the delivery app.
Tae Eul asks what it is when the food is delivered to her room. Lee Gon says she wanted convenience store food. He says it can be ordered through an app. Tae Eul says she saw him getting scolded by a kid while ordering.
Lee Gon opens the box for her and asks her to help herself. She is happy that there is lot of meat in the dish. Tae Eul says she is still hurting and can’t lift a spoon. She leans forward and opens her mouth asking him to feed her. Lee Gon laughs and he takes the spoon and feeds her. He asks if it is nice and she says it is tasty. Tae Eul says it is nice spending time like this. Tae Eul asks to sneak out after they eat. Lee Gon calls out to the nurse in an attempt to say Tae Eul is trying to escape. Tae Eul closes his mouth with her hand. He tells her to eat and not think about sneaking out. She again asks to sneak out. Lee Gon again tries calling the nurse and she again silences him by putting her hand over his mouth. Both of them laugh.
Tae Eul falls asleep later on. Tae Eul wakes up to see Lee Gon asleep on the bed. He opens his eyes and watches her watch him.
Lee Gon’s voiceover says, “Jo Yeong, just for today. Let me just say goodbye.”
Jo stands outside with the schoolbags of the twins. He is on the phone with Lee Gon. Jo says, “Yes your Majesty, I should too.” Eun bi runs down the stairs with her brother. She gestures towards Jo that she is watching him. Jo smiles at her.
Inside, Eun sup’s house, Eun sup seems sad as he returns Jo’s dry cleaned suit. Jo says he told Eun sup to keep it and asks why Eun sup called him here. Jo thanks Eun sup and asks him to take care. Eun sup smiles and sits in the couch. He avoids eye-contact.
Eun sup tells Jo to live a long and healthy life. He tells Jo not to get shot again. His voice cracks up as he says people meet and part all their life. He says goodbye and that he won’t see Jo off. Jo tells Eun sup to get a driver’s license. Jo wonders what Eun sup’s 65th dream is. Eun sup sniffles as he says he doesn’t have dreams anymore.
Jo says he thinks Eun sup does. He then says he is leaving. Eun-sup is teary-eyed as he asks if he is leaving already. He immediately gets up and says he has a dream. He says it is his dream to see Jo again.
Jo is teary-eyed as he walks towards Eun sup and hugs him. He says they will meet again someday. Eun-sup breaks down into tears and starts crying. He wails as he asks Jo to promise him that he will meet him again.
Meanwhile, Tae Eul leans on Lee Gon’s shoulder as they sit on the bench. Lee Gon reminds her that she said that this was uncomfortable back at the palace. She says she said simply but she hadn’t tried it. She says it is nice.
Tae Eul says they should do everything they skipped some day. She says they should travel together, watch movies, take photos together. Lee Gon stops her, “Jeong tae Eul.”Tae Eul sits up and says, “If you are going to say that you need to go, don’t. I’m not going to let you leave. Let’s just not save the world. Let us just go back and forth and only think about the present.”
Lee Gon looks at her. She looks away and says, “I know what you are planning. You are thinking of going to the past. You are going to catch Lee Lim before he comes to this world. Then I won’t be able to remember you. If our worlds flow differently from the present, I’ll live without knowing you.” Tears trickle down her eyes and Lee gon’s eyes well up.
Lee Gon says, “Our worlds have already gone so wrong.” we see a montage of Koo having the burn scar and Prince Buyeong’s death and Lee gon watching Tae Eul frozen in time outside the church. He recalls Song Heong Jye saying her son died because of Lee Gon.
Lee Gon says, “There are so many reasons to change the past. And that is the only way.”Tae Eul cries silently as she hears this. Lee Gon says, “So, tell me to go. Tell me to leave. Please.” Tae Eul looks away as she cries. Lee Gon continues, “I am asking for someone’s permission for the first time in my life. If you stop me I can’t leave.”
Tae Eul takes her hand in his and says, “Tell me you will come back. That is the 10th rule. No matter what happens, come back. That’s the 11th rule. Catch Lee Lim, and even if the door closes, open all the doors in the universe and return to me. Promise me you will do that. That is the 12th rule.” She starts crying hard.
Lee Gon says, “I will. I will open all the doors in the universe.” Lee Gon hugs her and holds her as he says, “I promise I will return to you”.
COREA
Koo is in the tunnel. Lee Lim walks up to her. She says he should have been here first. He says he thought she would be dejected. He points out that she can’t become the Queen, she has been suspended and she can’t near any high position. She says she wants to go to a vast place now. She says Lee Lim’s seems to be on his umbrella. She asks him where Lee Gon keeps his, as she wants to take it. She says it would be nice.
Lee Lim says there is a better option. He says she can take his umbrella. Lee Lim catches her by the neck startling her. He says, “I am expressing my anger at you. What I wanted from you was simple. Get Lee Gon or get Kingdom of Corea. But you have lost both. There is only one way for you to live now. Find a way for me to attend the memorial mass for Lee Gon’s mother that will be held soon. You, me and the late queen will be raised from the dead. I am going to announce at the mass that there are two worlds.”
Koo goes still as time stops.
Lee Lim comments that Lee Gon has finally turned up.
Lee Gon stands by the bridge watching Lee Gon’s image on the Relics Exhibition poster (Episode 12 ending). He walks to his car. Kyung Moo and Koo’s pregnant ex sister-in law are already in the car but are frozen in time.
Time starts flowing again and Koo finds herself alone in the tunnel. She wonders where Lee Lim went. She finds Song jeong Hye’s photo in her hand.
Lee Gon walks onto the palace. Lady Noh is worried and asks if he is okay. Lee Gon gives her a hug and thanks her for letting him go back then. Lady Noh says she knows and pats him in an effort to comfort him.
Lee Gon is back in his office. He tells Mo he is sure his absence at his uncle’s funeral would have been noticed. Mo says they announced that the funeral was done privately and that Lee Gon was grieving alone. She says Lee Seong Heon (Prince Buyeong’s son) will be leaving in 4 hours. Lee Gon recalls Lee Seong Heon helping Lee Lim escape in 1994. He remembers shooting Seong heon in the leg. Lee Gon asks if Seong heon walks with a limp. Mo says he does. Lee asks her to locate him and says he will see him off personally.
Lee Seong Heon’s car is driving down the road. One of the royal guards vehicle cuts the car off. Lee Seong heon is furious as he gets down.
Lee Gon gets out from one his car and walks toward Seong Heon. Seon heon asks what Lee Gon is doing here now when all the funeral rights are over. Lee Gon asks Seong Heon if he doesn’t remember him from the night of treason at the rear gate of the palace. Seon heon looks puzzled. Lee Gon takes the bullet shell (which he took along with him from 1994) and throws it before Seong Heon. Lee Gon says he is the man who shot him in the leg. Seon Heon is shocked as he asks how Lee Gon has this.
Lee Gon says, “The best thing you did in your whole life is the fact that you hid it well form my uncle. If he had known that you were an accomplice, he would’ve killed himself. You will never be able to return to this kingdom, even after your death.” Seong Heong pleads with him to think twice. Lee Gon orders, “Prince Buyeong’s son Lee Seong Heon is to be exiled from the Kingdom of Corea permanently.” Mo acknowledges him immediately. Lee Gon walks away and Mo follows him. Seong Heon tries to follow him but falls down. He keeps calling out to Lee Gon but Lee Gon walks away.
Meanwhile, royal guard Park In young gives Park Suk-jin a new set of clothes. She says the King has ordered her to change into these.
Shin jae waits by same bridge where Park Suk jin tried to push him when he was young. Park suk-jin walks upto him. She asks if he is really Kang Heon Min. She walks towards him asking if he can recognise her, his mother. Shin jae takes a step back. She says it was the only thing she could do back then. She says she is sorry. Shin jae asks his mother if she lost him or abandoned him. He asks if she lost him by accident or let go of his hand.
His mother says she wanted him to live a decent life. Shin jae’s eyes tear up as he says he didn’t live a decent life. He tells her not to get her hopes up and not to ask for forgiveness. He says he just wanted to see her once. He says he wants to wake up from a bad dream. He tells her to stay healthy. He says this time he is the one abandoning her. Park Suk Jin cries as Shin jae walks away.
Later, Lee Gon and Shin Jae have drinks and snacks by the pond in the Palace. Shin jae comments that he thought Kings have grander meals than this. Lee Gon says it depends on whom he is eating with. Lee Gon says they set the table to suit Shin Jae. Shin jae asks if there are more drinks.
Shin jae thanks Lee Gon for today. Lee Gon says that Shin jae’s mother won’t be harmed. He says he has repaid Shin Jae back for the meal. Lee Gon asks if Shin jae is going to stay or go back. Shin jae asks if Lee Gon plans to go back to that night. Lee Gon says he should. Shin jae asks if Lee Gon thinks he can catch Lee Lim. Lee Gon says, “It is possible if I only target Lee Lim. The moment he chokes me. He will be defenceless then since he’ll be focussed on his anger.”
Shin jae asks Lee Gon why he didn’t do that the first time. Lee Gon says, “You will regret asking me if I told you. I broke the dome glass and set off the alarm to grab everyone’s attention because I wanted to save the young me.”
Shin jae asks if Lee Gon won’t save himself this time. He says Lee Gon will disappear if he doesnt. Lee Gon says if he succeeds, then all the time Shin jae spent in Republic of Korea will disappear. He says he will be returning things to before Kang Heon Min/Shin jae met Lee Lim. Lee Gon tells Shin Jae to make a choice he won’t regret. Lee Gon says, “I am saying this because this is your last chance to kill me.” Shin jae comments that he should have poisoned the drink. Lee Gon gives a slight smile. Shin jae asks if Tae Eul knows this plan. Lee Gon says she can’t know.
KOREA
Meanwhile, Lee Lim crosses the portal to Republic of Korea.
He loads his rifle and get ready to eat with Song Heong Jye. Song Heong Jye stands up and eats mouthfuls of food. She chomps on the food. Lee Lim eats a mouthful of food and looks up at her. She smiles. He finds this odd and looks up. She coughs up blood and laughs. She says he let his guard down. Lee Lim is furious as he pushes the tables away and calls for Ms Baek.
He grabs her and calls her a bitch. Song Jeong Hye asks if he prayed. Lee Lim coughs up blood too. She says she prayed to god everyday to kill her. She laughs as she says finally she is going to die. Baek comes running in when Song Jeong Hye loses consciousness. Ms Baek fills her syringe with medicine but freezes as time stops. Lee Lim picks up the syringe and tries to load the syringe but it doesn’t work as the time stops.
Lee Lim grabs the half of Manpasikjoek from the umbrella. He takes his rifle and walks down the road where people are frozen in time.
Lee Gon walks up to him. Lee Lim says he even transcended death but wonders how he is unable to avoid Lee Gon. He asks how Lee Gon located him. Lee Gon says he is not alone. He says someone set the time, someone chases after him, someone prays for Lee Lim to get caught and someone is going to fight Lee Lim. Lee Gon asks how Lee Lim dared to try to attend Lee Gon’s mother’s memorial mass. Lee Lim says Lee Gon should have waited in Corea. He says he can’t let things end like this.
Lee Lim points his rifle at Lee Gon and pulls the trigger. Lee Gon stands unmoving and says time will not flow again for a while. Lee Lim puts the rifle down and says at first it was 22 steps only. He accuses Lee Gon of stopping the world Lee Lim is supposed to have. Lee Gon says Lee Lim postponed his death by 25 years using the Manpasikjeok and now the world is dying. Lee Gon says this is why the fight must end now.
Time starts moving again and Lee Lim points the rifle at Lee Gon again. Lee gon stands without moving. A shot is fired at Lee Lim’s leg and Lee Lim falls to his knees. Jo and Shin jae come and stand behind Lee Gon. Jo has his gun trained on Lee Lim and Shin jae wears his Police ID.
Lee Gon walks forward and takes Lee Lim’s Manpasikjeok from his coat.
Later, at the bamboo forest, Jo stands with Lee Gon’s half of the Manpasikjeok (Lee Gon’s portal). He says this isn’t possible.
Lee Gon stands at the bamboo forest with Lee Lim’s half of Manpasikjeok. The portal doesn’t open. Shin jae is behind him with Lee Lim at gun point. He asks if something is wrong.
Lee Gon walks forward and puts the Manpasikjeok back in Lee Lim’s hand. Immediately Lee Gon hears the sound of the flute. Immediately the portal opens. Lee Lim says, “You can’t open my door. I am sure you expected that. The manpasikjeok was soaked in my blood.”
Jo comes to Lee Gon and returns the other half. Lee Gon takes both the pieces and tells Jo and Shin Jae to wait here. Lee Gon walks forward and stops in surprise as he sees a portal opening in front of him. Lee Lim looks up in shock. This portal looks different from the previous ones. This has a red tinge to it.
Lee Lim says that these were the obelisks of his father (Lee Gon’s grandfather). Lee Lim says he has finally witnessed it. Lee Lim says this is the moment he has been waiting for his entire life.
Lee Gon says he can no longer hear the flute. He says the Manpasikjeok is no longer crying. Lee Lim says Lee Gon has eternity and infinity in his hands now. He says the flute isn’t crying because it is whole again. Lee Lim tells Lee Gon to forget about the treason. He says both of them should enter the portal.
Lee Gon says he can’t go back to the night of the treason if the flute is not crying. Lee Gon says he must make the crack again. Shin jae asks if Lee Gon has to give Lee Lim back his piece. Lee Lim says he doesn’t want it back again as it is whole. Lee Lim says eternity and infinity is waiting for them in there. Lee Lim asks Lee Gon if he is just going to use it to go back to the night of the treason.
Lee Gon says he doesn’t need eternity and infinity. He says Lee Lim will never see nor own that place. Lee Lim calls Lee Gon a fool. Lee Lim asks Lee Gon to try it. He says Lee Gon can ask or order Lee Lim to die. Lee Lim says Lee Gon can open his own door but he will need someone to escort Lee Lim across his door. He asks whom will Lee Gon choose to die in there.
Lee Gon growls, “You have not transcended death. You have postponed punishment from the gods. With your taunting added, I will make sure you will die a miserable death.”
Jo and Shin jae both offer to take Lee Lim across his door. Jo says he will take Lee Lim back. Shin jae tells Jo to get lost back to his world. He asks Lee Gon if he just has to take Lee Lim across. He asks for the half piece.
Lee Gon’s eyes tear up.
He is transported into a place which looks like the place inside the portal of eternity and infinity. It has many columns of light and is by the seashore. Lee Gon holds both the parts of the flute in his hands as he asks, “How far do you want me to go? How far”
Later at the Police station, Tae Eul walks into the adjoining room where Lee Lim is detained. Shin jae is there. She asks how Shin jae caught Lee Lim. He says he tracked down Son jeong Hye and he says she is dead. He says he confirmed that she has no family. Tae Eul says maybe they should have been there for her. He says they have to question Lee Lim.
Lee Gon and Jo are at the crematorium for Song Jeong Hye’s cremation. They bow their heads for a moment in respect and leave.
COREA
Lee Gon tells Mo to announce tomorrow morning that Se-jin is first in line to the throne. Lee Gon says if anything happens to him, Prince Buyeong’s granddaughter will succeed the throne.
KOREA
At her home, Tae Eul is at her desk. Her photo and Lee Gon’s photo (on the currency note) are side by side on the desk.
One petal of the forget-me-not flower which is hanging to dry falls on the desk. She looks up to see the petals fall one by one. She picks up the petal in her hand and it vanishes into thin air. She looks up at the hanging bouquet and the entire bouquet disappears. Tae Eul grabs her coat and runs out.
Tae Eul sits before Lee Lim in the interrogation room. She asks him where manpasikjeok is. She asks him who has it now. Lee Lim asks if she is here to die too. She tells him to answer her question. Lee Lim is furious. He says they should be scared. He asks why everyone is making such choices. Tae Eul says she is scared that Lee Gon will be lonely there by himself.
She says she is scared that their worlds will continue like this. She tells Lee Lim to make a choice. She asks if it would be better if he went there with her. She says this is his last chance. She asks who has the manpasikjeok.
Lee Lim says if that is the only thing she is afraid of, it means he hasn’t taught her anything. Lee Lim says he has sent hell to Lee Gon and Koo.
COREA
A newsflash reports that Prince Buyeong’s granddaughter Lee Se-jin who was residing in L.A was killed in an accident. It says Park Ji Young (Koo’s pregnant siter-in-law) had casued the accident.
Lee Gon and Lady Noh are grief stricken at this news.
Koo is at her house when she reads the news. She sis shocked to see that Lee Lim use Park Ji Young to do that. Koo immediately picks up the phone and calls her mother. Her mother attends the call. She asks her mother what she had for dinner. The mother says she had jjajangmeon.
Koo drops her phone is shock and starts screaming hysterically as she discovers that the woman on the phone is a doppelganger and not her mother.
KOREA
At the abandoned building, Tae Eul removes Luna’s handcuffs. Luna asks if Tae Eul is letting her go because she has a terminal illness. Tae Eul tells Luna to live a long and happy life, or else her father will be upset.
Tae Eul says she is going somewhere and it will take her a long time. She tells Luna to protect her father as Tae Eul till then. She asks Luna to steal something for her before that.
Later, Luna walks into the Police station (probably to steal). Gyeung ran of forensics speaks to her as she walks in.
Shin jae walks into the abandoned building. He finds Tae Eul standing there. He asks her how Luna got away. Tae Eul holds up the handcuffs and says she let her go. He asks her why she did that. Tae Eul asks Shin jae if he has the Manpasikjeok. She asks him to give it to her. Shin jae says he doesn’t have it. He asks what it is.
Tae Eul says she has Lee Lim. She asks him why he brought Lee Lim to the Police station while they can’t punish him under the law in Korea Republic. She says it is because he needs to keep Lee Lim safe for 48 hours. She guesses that Shin jae would have promised to bring Lee Lim to the bamboo forest in 48 hours.
Tae Eul asks Shin Jae to give her the Manpasikjeok. Shin Jae says he won’t. He says she might not come back if she goes. He asks her why she would go. Tae Eul says she can’t remain here and endure it alone. She tells him not to make her do that. She pleads with him to give it to her. Shin jae says he is not letting her go.
Shin jae says he wanted to keep this as a secret to his grave, but he has no choice but to tell her the truth. Shin jae says he has feelings for her. He says he has had feelings for her and only her in his whole life. He says he has liked her for every second till now. He asks how he can let her go and die? He tells her to go home and walks away. Tae Eul tries to stop him but he shakes her hand away. She again grabs his hand.
Tae Eul’s voice cracks as she says, “Please… give it to me. I won’t apologise for not having known how you felt. If I say I feel bad for you now, I would be a hypocrite. But just like your feelings for me, I also like someone a lot. I promise I will come back and make up for all the times I have upset you. So just, give it to me. Please help me. If I don’t go, I think I’ll really die Shin jae.” Shin jae stands still.
COREA
Lee Gon is in his study. The half of his Manpasikjeok is on the table. Lee Gon’s voiceover narrates, “God must have known that I would choose to kill Lee Lim instead of saving myself.”
Lee Gon wears the coat in which he brought flowers to Tae Eul. His wardrobe assistant asks if he is going somewhere special as he is wearing his ceremonial outfit.
It is night as Lady Noh is praying. Lee Gon walks up to her he has his four tiger sword with him.
Lee gon’s voiceover narrates, “That is why God left the mark on my shoulder. It was so that I would follow my destiny. How selfish.”
Lee Gon tells Lady Noh that he is telling her first so she won’t be anxious. He says she must have been so lonely. He says she kept his secret and hers all to herself. He says that book of poems was a gift for her. He says the lullaby Lady Noh used to sing to him was in that book. She says the thought crossed her mind and it made her anxious. She asks why he never asked her about it. Lee Gon says he thought she would try to go back to her world. He says thanks to her he was able to read a beautiful poem. He says he has a favour to ask her. He says, “Please let me go once again.”
Tears well up in Lady Noh’s eyes as she she asks, “If I let you go, will you ever come back?” Lee Gon says, “You will have to stay healthy. This is my last order” Lady Noh cries and calls after him as he walks away.
KOREA
Tae Eul sits in her car. She take the chain with pendant that Lee Gon gave her and wears it. She drives away.
COREA
Lee gon rides upto the bamboo forest and finds Jo waiting there on his horse. He asks Lee Gon, “Where are you going off to this time.” Lee Gon tries to say something. Jo interrupts him, “Don’t even think about it. Wherever you go, you can’t go alone. I will go with you, no matter where it is, no matter what battlefield it is. Even more so, if it is somewhere you can’t return from.”
Lee Gon and Jo nod at each other in acknowledgement as the portal opens. Lee Gon and Jo ride into the portal.
We see a montage of Jo and Lee Gon walking into Cheonjongo in 1994 and shooting Lee Lim’s men.
Image courtesy -SBS
Review
It looks like Lee Lim did learn from his mistakes and his past self decided not to kill his future self sometime along the way. The Lee Lim at the cafe confirmed that he is the one from 1994 who has killed his future self. It looks like the past self (which killed the future self in previous episode) figured out a way to not get killed in the time loop. So it altered Lee Lim’s death as well leaving him alive in 2020. The timeline of Lee Lim is still vague as he still remains a mysterious character and the viewer has to assume what is going on with him. So that leaves a lot of options open for Lee Lim.
The scenes with Lee Gon and Tae Eul spending time together was a pleasant watch. The scenes where Jo said goodbye to Eun sup and Lee Gon said his farewell to Tae Eul was deep seated and emotive.
The scene where Shin jae meets his mother was well made. Shin jae has had a harsh and rough life. He has grown up with good values despite receiving the short end of the stick. Shin jae agreed to take Lee gon’s side despite knowing that if Lee gon’s plan succeeds, Shin jae will have to grow up with his mother who tried to kill him when he was young. He will also forget all of his time spent in Korea with Tae Eul and others. The scene with him confessing his feelings for Tae Eul was well-made.
It is interesting to see Lee Lim’s reaction when other people are willing to make selfless decisions and sacrifices. He doesn’t seem to understand them at all. Lee Lim sure does know how to hurt people. Koo who seemed insensitive to everything literally broke down when she realised her mother is no more. It was sad and unexpected that Lee Se-jin (Prince Buyeong’s grandaughter) was killed.
Though there are lot of possibilities. It looks like the future Lee Gon successfully erases himself from the world and that is the reason the flowers that his future self gave Tae Eul disappeared. This may have prompted Tae Eul to go to the portal with Lee Lim and Manpasikjeok in the present.
Na-ri and Tae Eul’s father didn’t notice the difference between Tae Eul and Luna. They seem to treat both of them the same. So it wont make much of a difference to them if Tae Eul leaves Luna in Republic of Korea. Watching Luna and Tae Eul at work together was nice. Tae Eul escorting Lee Lim is something that Lee Gon doesn’t know (assuming that Shin jae gave her the flute). It was a good twist and I am curious to see what happens on her end.
Lee Gon knowing that Lady Noh is from Republic of Korea since he read the book of poems in Episode 2 was a good suspense. It’s interesting that both Lady Noh and Tae Eul gave the same response when Lee Gon asked them to let him go.
It was heart-warming to see how both Jo and Tae Eul don’t want to leave Lee Gon alone and chose to join him. The last scene was well-made.
I wonder how the gate of eternity and infinity works. I am curious to see what Lee Gon did inside that portal.
In the previous episode, when Seong Jeong Hye asked the yoyo boy/Manpasikjeok as to how the story ends, the boy said the flute is powerless when half. I wonder if he was referring to the fact that the answer is an open ended one.
Lee Lim’s fate says he has to commit treason and be beheaded. He claims he has changed it.I wonder what Lee gon and Tae Eul’s actual fate and destiny is. So far, it is only the characters assumptions and one can only hope that their destination is a beautiful one.
A lot of love and loyalty was seen in this episode, which made it very emotive and good. With the series finale in the next episode, there are numerous possibilities that could happen. I am curious to see how everything comes together in the end.
-By Soul sword-
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