Summary
Captivating the King bows out with a surprisingly happy finale that provides closure for multiple characters and satisfaction for the audience.
The ending of Captivating the King is surprisingly happy, which isn’t something I’ve been anticipating throughout Season 1 as Lee In has been thrust into one impossible situation after another. But Episode 16 is full of closure and earned moments between the characters, all of whom have been through the wringer of a dense political drama that pulled no punches throughout its run.
Captivating the King Season 1 Episode 16 Recap and Ending Explained
In Episode 15, even after dealing with the scheming Park, Lee In had been blindsided by another problem – the exposure of Hee-soo’s identity and the desire of Prince Rui to have Hee-soo be sent to the Qing dynasty. It’s a lot to resolve in just one episode.
The King Refuses To Decide Hee-soo’s fate
The revelation of Hee-soo being a woman seems right up the street of the Queen Dowager, who assumes that Lee In will marry her and sire an heir. That’s all she has been pushing for since the beginning anyway, so to have the King’s heart suddenly belong to a viable woman is like hitting the jackpot.
Lee In doesn’t see it that way, though. He’s genuinely and deeply in love with Hee-soo, and he won’t treat her like a concubine any more than he will send her off to Beijing for the enjoyment of some other ruler. The Queen Dowager predictably hits the roof about what she perceives to be ungratefulness and disrespect on the King’s part, but he’s having none of that noise.
Why does Hee-soo decide to go to Beijing?
Despite his insistence, the King realizes that he can’t have his cake and eat it – and so does Hee-soo. Even though she’d rather be with her love, she decides to go to Beijing for two reasons: One, to keep the peace between Qing and Joseon, and two, to meet her father, who is also there.
Lee In isn’t happy about this but also understands the necessity, so he spends some time instructing Hee-soo on how to survive in a rival dynasty. She can’t win every game of Baduk, for a start. She must be careful of what she says and what she does and just generally keep her nose clean. With all that, she might just survive and return to Joseon.
What happens to Je-pyo and Hyun-bo?
Both Jong Je-pyo and Hyun-bo meet their fates in the finale of Captivating the King. The former, a double agent who had conspired with Prince Rui, tried his very best to curry favor with the Qing emperor, but Lee In remained one step ahead of him the whole time. Eventually, the Qing Emperor asked for Je-pyo to be taken into custody, and despite his pleading, Lee In handed him over without any fuss. The fate of a backstabber is never a pleasant one.
Similarly, Hyun-bo got his comeuppance at the hands of Dal-ha before the latter left for Beijing with Hee-soo. By taking advantage of another violent situation, Dal-ha was able to kill Hyun-bo without incriminating himself.
How does Captivating the King Season 1 end?
Hee-soo returns to Joseon after nine months in Beijing. She achieved an impressive position while there and helped to secure peace between the two dynasties.
After finally returning home, Hee-soo was finally able to be with Lee In honestly and openly, as her true self and with her true name. In the end, Lee In had turned out to be a great ruler; he had set a political precedent, eradicated deserving enemies, and earned the love of his subjects. But he remained captivated indeed by Hee-soo, and they finally got their happy ending together.
What did you think about Captivating the King Season 1 Episode 16 and the ending? Let us know in the comments.
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