Summary
One problem is solved just in time for another to present itself. Being King isn’t easy, and Captivating the King continues to prove that with each episode.
There’s never a dull moment at court, is there? Episode 11 of Captivating the King proves that as soon as you deal with one problem, another will promptly take its place. Whether that’s princess switches or years-long revenge plots or whatever, Season 1 has been replete with worry after worry for King Lee In.
That doesn’t look to be changing as we enter the final episodes of the season. At least right now, it’s hard to imagine a world in which this guy isn’t killed or deposed in some uncomfortable manner, and that’s to say nothing of his love life, which has been defined almost entirely by secrets and lies since the very beginning.
So, Episode 10 ended with a fair bit of drama, with Mong-woo having replaced Princess Jangryeong with a maid so she didn’t have to be married off to the Qing Dynasty. This was under Lee In’s nose, but the secret was rumbled and became known to Principal Director Park, so Mong-woo had to spill the beans to the King.
Episode 11 picks up here. Needless to say, Lee In isn’t best pleased, but Mong-woo gambles – rightly, it turns out – on his affection for him preventing him from doing anything drastic. Naturally, Park thinks he has found his trump card, so he’s livid when the King covers the whole thing up and not-so-subtly threatens anyone who disagrees with execution. The job does have its perks after all.
Plots Emerge
The King covering things up pushes Hyun-bo to desperate measures; he decides to fabricate evidence of a conspiracy cooked up between Mong-woo, Myung-ha, and Grand Prince Munseong to overthrow the King. Principal Director Park also sticks his oar in by telling Mong-woo that he tried to save him during Lee In’s ascension but that he was coldly sacrificed – like Hang-soon before him – because it suited the King.
The King’s doing his best though, bless him. He has a nice moment with Munseong over Baduk, teaching him how to govern sensibly and with as little turmoil as possible. He also relocates Princess Jangryeong to a safe house in Beijing through the Chief Royal Secretary, which he tells Mong-woo about later.
Since the beginning, Captivating the King has done a good job of humanizing Lee In, which is why his quasi-heel turn was so shocking when it happened. But you always get the sense he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place and is doing his best either way. He reiterates this, too, to Mong-woo, apologizing for hurting her but considering that, as King, he may have to keep doing so through no fault of his own.
Will Mong-woo be willing to believe in the King’s love and stay by his side despite all this? Well, that’s the question. And it isn’t an easy one to answer. Mong-woo is being pressured into enacting the revenge plot she has spent so long calculating, but maybe Lee In had his reasons. Maybe it isn’t so easy.
The ending of Episode 11 only serves to blur these lines further. A plot to appoint Je-nam as Inspector General backfires when he determines that Lee In is a kind man and steps down; Hee-soo reassures Myung-ha and Dal-ha that their time will come.
But Hee-soo also decides to commit to Lee In – to reassure him that she will remain by his side. They seem closer than ever. Suddenly, lightning strikes and the palace catches fire.
What did you think of Captivating the King Season 1, Episode 11? Let us know in the comments.
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