Wednesday, August 13, 2014

The Night Watchman Episode 4

Queen Dowager Pain-In-The-Butt is still alive, and not a grey hair on her head even after twelve years. She's still having tea with Minister Park Soo Jong and suggesting its time for his daughter, Soo Ryun, to get married.
 
That annoying (and dangerous) ghost from last episode is still hanging around. He tries to get into Rin's house but the ghost deterrents keep him at bay. He's finally run off, for now, by Rin's three phantoms. I need to come up with a name for them. And who is the little girl supposed to be?! What has she got to do with Rin?
 
The three phantoms are still trying to figure out if the prince can really see them so they come up with a plot. As Rin is leaving his house, the ghosts start talking loudly about the exact location where beautiful fairies will be bathing. Rin rushes off in that direction, as there's nothing like spying on nekkid fairies.
 
 
Rin arrives at the waterfall the ghosts had mentioned and sure enough there appears to be someone with long hair bathing in the water. Rin sneaks closer and tries to get the bather to turn around. Ack! It's Eunuch Song! In horror, Rin goes running back to town, pushing and plowing through other pedestrians. However, he's unable to stop in time when Do Ha steps out into his path. They crash together, causing her sister's bell bracelet to fall off.
 
The Three Phantoms are still chasing after the prince. (Thankfully Eunuch Song has put his clothes back on.) In a rush to get away from them, Rin picks up the bracelet and starts running. Do Ha doesn't see the ghosts but seems to at least feel them as they pass through her body. She can't find her missing bracelet but she does find Rin's identity tag.
 
Sadam is hanging out with his female accomplice (whose name I still don't know) and refusing the attend to the king. This enrages Ki San enough that he goes himself to threaten the wizard with a sword. Sadam is all humble pie as he explains with a trembling voice how he can't be close to the king because he's a Taoist priest while its the Confucians who are in power in this country.
 
At the next session of court (complete with the king's invisible alter ego), Ki San announces he's going to restore a Taoist shrine. The court is not pleased.
 
Elsewhere, Moo Suk is doing his sabre dance. (Look, I don't know who Yunho is. He's doing nothing for me. Where's Sang Hun? Doesn't he have some blacksmithing to do?) His companion, yet another nameless character, tries to get Moo Suk to relax and go have some fun at some gathering. Moo Suk only agrees to go when Nameless Friend mentions there might be a legendary sword on display.
 
Soo Ryun, among others, arrives at this fancy gathering. The peasant crowd stands around at the gate to ooh and ahh at all the pretty rich people going in. Among them is Do Ha who has decided to try her hand at gate crashing. The resident bouncer ain't havin' it and throws her down in the street. This is witnessed by a passing Moo Suk and Nameless Friend. The bouncer is about to lay the smack down on Do Ha when Moo Suk intervenes. Do Ha seizes the moment to sneak away.
 
At the back of the building she sees workers rushing around seeing to huge boxes covered with scarlet cloth. Do Ha slips unseen underneath one of the coverings to find herself inside a large cage.
 
Rin is still trying to outrun his ghostly trio. He also spies the covered boxes and scurries underneath one himself. Of course it is the same one as Do Ha is under. Although we the audience can see them, these two act as if it is pitch black in the cage. Do Ha warns the person who just joined her to be quiet or they'll both get caught. Rin thinks Do Ha is yet another ghost. She orders him to touch her so he'll be convinced she's a living person. This seems to freak Rin out even more than if she truly had been a ghost. He runs screaming from the cage, pausing long enough to lock the door behind him.
 
And of course this is when the workers come to move the covered cage into position.
 
Rin finally makes it inside the compound where he is surrounded by his adoring fans. Soo Ryun quickly abandons Moo Suk and Nameless Friend to go cozy up to the prince. Moo Suk gives her the Longing Look of Love as she walks away. But then he notices Sadam lurking about.
 
With the current king insisting on bringing Taoism back in style, Minister Park considers replacing Ki San with Rin.
 
Back at the tea house/gathering/whatever, Do Ha's covered cage is brought out before the audience. In charge of the festivities is Sadam's female accomplice. She signals for the cloth to be whipped away. Everyone is expecting to see the legendary phoenix inside the cage and is surprised to instead see a girl. And an ordinary, everyday peacock. The people start laughing at Do Ha and calling her a mythical beast. This triggers a memory for Rin of when he was young and the people would talk trash about him.
 
Both Moo Suk and Rin get up to go free the poor girl. Rin is just more direct about it as he grabs a nearby sword and uses it to slice through the wooden bars of the cage. Once freed, she thanks the prince by throwing him to the ground because he knocked her down earlier in the street. The people are outraged and demand Do Ha be arrested. This time Moo Suk comes to her defense, using words to shame the audience for being boors.
 
Do Ha demands Rin return her precious bracelet. At first he doesn't even recall picking up the thing, then Rin gets all pissy and says Do Ha will have to prove the bracelet belongs to her before he gives it back. As Rin starts to leave, a servant runs up to inform him the king (at Minister Park's suggestion) has put the prince in charge of the Tao shrine being rebuilt.
 
Rin puts on his court togs to go to the palace and ask Minister Park just what is up. Rin is the last person who should be in charge of any shrine, let alone a Taoist one, and he intends to kneel on a straw mat until the king rescinds the order.
 
As Rin is leaving the room, he spies several ghosts going into the old library. He's curious enough to go investigate. The ghosts lead him to a back room where he overhears Ki San talking with Sadam. The bad dreams have come back to the king. Why is Sadam's magic no longer working? Sadam assures Ki San that once the Taoist shrine is revived, all will be well again. Furthermore, our villain makes a prediction that a female shaman will arrive at a certain day and time who will be of great benefit to the king.
 
Do Ha is out and about still searching for Rin. She sees everyone standing around reading a news poster advertising for female shamans to apply for work at the new shrine. Do Ha decides to submit her own application, hoping perhaps her long lost sister will be doing the same.
 
On the day of the shaman job fair, Sadam overhears Do Ha talking to herself (because DramaKoreans are always talking out loud) and figures out Do Ha must be related to Yun Ha. Maybe he's hoping she'll have the same powers as her sister had.
 
After Rin spends an entire day and night kneeling on his mat, Ki San finally gets around to checking on his brother. Ki San asks Rin if he still sees ghost, something Rin first claimed back when he was a crybaby little boy. Adult Rin lies and says no, he sees nothing. Ki San warns his brother he'd better not be lying, and no, the king will not change his mind about Rin being in charge of the shrine.
 
Later, Ki San is working on his sword fighting with Moo Suk. The king orders Moo Suk to not hold back.
 
Moo Suk doesn't hold back.
 
Rin reclines on a boat in the middle of the river. And that's it. That's how the episode ends. What kind of ending is that, Show? And where was Sang Hun and his biceps?

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