‘Mr. Sunshine’ (‘Miseuteo Shunshain’) Episode 14 | TV Recap

After the half-jolly episode previously, Mr. Sunshine has now entered a phase where the powers of Joseon need to enact their chess plays. Mr. Sunshine Episode 14 signified a dark and twisted turn of events, with the consequences of the death of American Missionary Joseph taking its toll. This series has had its great moments but this was perhaps the most complete episode so far, with all characters coming together, some with a common goal and others with a less desirable intention.

Mr. Sunshine Episode 14 showed the Eugene I wanted to see. An angry one. After thirteen episodes of the lead character barely lifting a finger or striking a more aggressive emotion, the death of his lifelong friend finally brought him to a level we can respect him on. Rather than being calculated, he became reckless instead, allowing his emotions to get the better of him; he wanted answers, and he wanted them quick.

But the surprise moments in this episode came from Gu-Dong Mae, who became the first suspect of the Joseon police. They were of course, for corrupt reasons, wrong to arrest him, with the real plotting coming from Lee Wan-Ik, who is as desperate as ever to tighten his grip on the Emporer so he can become the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The reasoning behind Joseph’s death was because of the letter he was delivering, which put Joseon at risk; highlighting that Joseph was bringing it to Joseon to protect them. Gu-Dong Mae was tortured viciously but showed his loyalty and refused to give into the politics, providing a depth of character I was not expecting.

The real suspect is Kim Yong-Ju; if you remember previously he tried to search Eugene’s hotel, which ended in a shoot-out. Due to Eugene’s willingness to bring Kim Yong-Ju to justice, he does everything in his power to send Joseon a message, and frees Gu-Dong Mae but immediately puts him under American custody. Again, seeing Eugene form into a character that lays down his political shackles is one that we need to see more often.

The murder of Joseph is not resolved because all of the characters are so worried about each other that in the end, it became a dark and twisted episode with everyone paranoid. Lee Wan-Ik wants to lay the blame on Go-Sa Hong, the grandfather of Lady Ae-sin, who wrote that scathing letter last episode regarding the collapse of Joseon sovereignty. Every episode before us appears to be culminating into a controlled war, with everyone waiting for it to explode. If you have patience with Mr. Sunshine, then you have been truly rewarded here.

As the episode came to an end, Eugene is helped by no other than Hui-seong whilst in an altercation with Gu-Dong Mae’s men who desperately want their boss to be free. Mr. Sunshine Episode 14 showed that the three men (Eugene, Gu-Dong Mae and Hui-seong) may not like each other but there is a level of respect; the series is not just about Lady Ae-sin anymore, it’s about loyalty, respect and mortality.

The ending provided a twist as an assassination attempt is placed on Eugene in his own hotel room whilst in the company of Lady Ae-sin during an intimate moment. Both managed to escape the room due to the hotel owner Kudo Hina, much to the relief of Ae-sin. As the episode closes, Eugene learns that The Righteous Army, the group of people Ae-sin is involved with to protect Joseon, tried to assassinate him. It’s because of his strong involvement with the letters that have put him at risk, and The Righteous Army believe he is putting Joseon in danger. Lady Ae-sin is asked to kill the man who is crossing the icy lake, knowing full well that man is Eugene, leaving a worthy cliffhanger.

Mr. Sunshine maybe lengthy with each episode, but these moments are worth waiting for. This was a killer episode. Will Lady Ae-sin do it? I suspect not. I’ll be back next week.

Check out our full series coverage.