Summary
The penultimate episode excels with its political manoeuvring and character drama, setting up a dramatic finale.
Episode 15, the penultimate episode of Captivating the King Season 1, really highlights the political push and pull that has made this such a compelling historical K-Drama. What is the price of justice? Can Lee In do the right thing without losing the ones he loves? Are the necessary sacrifices worth it?
All these questions and more are paramount here, so let’s dig in.
Following on from the end of Episode 14, the King silkily swerves a smooch from Court Lady Dong that, unbeknown to him, would have proved fatal. Or would it? Well, apparently not, since Lady Dong promptly reveals that she took the poison herself, unwilling to kill him and ready to die for him. She vomits blood and expires without giving away who ordered her to kill Lee In, though at this point it isn’t much of a mystery.
Thus, Lee In goes straight to the Queen Dowager, who begs him to spare Park’s life, but Lee In isn’t having it. The penny has dropped now, and it’s obvious that Park and the Queen Dowager ordered Dong to poison Lee In’s late brother. The pieces all fit and the truth is out.
News of Lady Dong’s death promptly reaches Park courtesy of Hyun-bo. Park is adamant that if he goes down, Hyun-bo is going with him, so Hyun-bo packs his bags and tries to flee. No such luck – he’s caught by Sang-hwa.
Hyun-bo’s subsequent confession during the interrogation of Park also implicates him and prevents him from wriggling his way out. Captured and tortured, Park remains tight-lipped, refusing to confess his crimes, putting Lee In in a bit of a quandary since he can’t quite decide what to do with him.
What does Lee In decide to do with Park?
While he’s deliberating, the King hands out relatively minor punishments to Dal-ha and Hyun-bo. The former gets a few years of labor, which isn’t bad for conspiring to kill the King, and the latter is exiled from the capital, which is a bit more severe but is better than death. Park, though, leaves Lee In at a loss.
The answer comes to him through Myung-ha, who confesses that he was partly involved in the conspiracy with Jee-soo and Dal-ha to take out Lee In. The King instructs Myung-ha to give Park poison and watch him die, which he’s pretty okay with.
The penultimate episode ends with the Queen Dowager discovering the truth about Mong-woo’s identity. The King rushes to intervene, but Prince Rui apparently also wants to play Baduk with Mong-woo according to a Qing envoy, so there’s the possibility that Lee In will have to send his love off to another dynasty as well. It’s high drama right up until the finish line, and the finale will finally reveal whether these characters get a deserved happy ending.
What did you think of Captivating the King Season 1 Episode 15? Let us know in the comments.
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