1,089 minutes of screen fest and it’s definitely worth it.
Well…I spent more than that after watching The King: Eternal Monarch thrice ahead of last night’s finale. You have to rewatch the series so as to understand how the writer stitches the story, fitting to her own narrative approach. Of course, Kim Eun-sook just had to outdo herself. What else can you give after writing the most groundbreaking dramas of all time: Goblin (2016), Mr. Sunshine (2018), Descendants of the Sun (2016), and Secret Garden (2010).
The King: Eternal Monarch (TKEM) took us to a 360 journey, anchoring on ‘parallel universe’ as the hook of the story; then there goes the conflict about lovers from two different worlds, and time-travel scenarios that could rewrite their present and change the future.
TKEM may not be everyone’s cup of tea. It requires patience. So it isn’t for Ai-ai. It makes viewers proactive thinkers. So it isn’t for Ai-ai. It stimulates discussion hence the theories. It leaves you with a lot of questions and after-feels. But I consider it a classic. Lee Min Ho’s best work and Kim Go-Eun’s best role.
Here are some of the best scenes from TKEM to help you catch up on what the buzz is all about.
1. Tae-Eul’s First visit in the Kingdom of Corea
- Episode 5: When Tae-Eul didn’t have enough tickets to go back to King Lee Gon’s palace. The king ordered his pilot to take a detour and head to Seoul just to pick up Tae-Eul. This episode also carried cute scenes when Tae-Eul pretended to be a part of Lee Gon’s royal guard.
2. Have you been waiting for me?
- Episode 6: When Lee-Gon returned to the Republic of Korea after being away for quite some time. This is Lee Gon and Tae-Eul’s first heartwarming reunion and an indication of Tae-Eul’s romantic reciprocation to the King. “Have you been doing well? Have you been waiting for me?”
3. The meet-cute of Eun-sup and Captain Jo
- Episode 7: Let’s all agree that this one’s epic.
4. Protect the sea.
- Episode 6: This Kingdom of Corea versus Japan ship war sequence showcased how big-budgeted TKEM’s production is. And I also loved how this scene portrayed Lee Gon’s leadership. When everyone’s looking after his safety, the King instructed the navy to protect KOC’s territorial waters. “From now on, I’m the only one who worries about me. What you must protect today is not me, but the sea.”
5. First identity switch of Eun-sup and Captain Jo.
- Episode 8: When Eun-sup pretended to be Captain Jo at the moment when the King needed his ‘unbreakable sword’ the most. Arriving on the fight scene in Eun-sup outfit, Captain Jo was caught off-guard and had to act ‘Eun-sup’ in front of the detectives. Don’t you love Woo Do-hwan’s acting switch? :)
Check the 4:20 mark on the video
6. Random unromantic confession of Tae-Eul
- Episode 8: Normally, there’s a feel-good setting and a build-up clue leading up to the confession between the two leads. I liked how random Tae-Eul’s confession is, making Lee Gon choke: “Hang on. I’m still mesmerized by what you said earlier.”
7. Are you really here?
- Episode 10: The Bamboo Grove Reunion. Who cried after watching the unexpected meet-up of Lee Gon and Tae-Eul? Can I just say that Lee-Gon and Tae-Eul have the best hugs? This scene sealed the deal for me. Spell chemistry. And the OST. My goodness.
Lee Gon: Have you been waiting here?
Tae-Eul: Are you really here?
Lee Gon: I missed you so much. Like crazy.
8. Kidnap and Rescue Scene
- Episode 11–12: When the King pulled out the entire security force of the Kingdom of Corea just to save Tae-Eul. SWAT — Check! POLICE — Check! ROYAL GUARDS — Check! MAXIMUS — Check! THE KING — Big Check! “Protect her. She’s the future queen of Corea!”
9. Wait for me.
- Episode 14: When Lee Gon travels to 2020 coming from the year 1994. He imprints new memories and sends clues to Tae-Eul just to tell her that he’s on his way back to 2020. My heart melted on that telephone booth scenes.
10. Eun-sup and Captain Jo’s farewell hug
- Episode 15: We’ve been wanting to see Captain Jo soften up. And this moment is his first. And it’s not even with his Pyeha. It’s with Eun-sup. His parallel identity. Hardshell cracked.
11. Lee Gon’s and Tae-Eul’s farewell scene
- Episode 15: Well. This is a mandatory scene. But let’s talk about the restrained acting of Lee Min Ho and Kim Go-Eun in this scene.
Tae-Eul: “Tell me you’ll come back. No matter what happens, you’ll come back… Even if the door closes, open all the doors in the universe and return to me. Promise me.”
Lee Gon: “I will. I’ll open all the doors in the universe. And I promise… I’ll return to you.”
12. I crossed the universe for you.
- Episode 10: When Lee Gon dropped by ROK to give Tae-Eul flowers. “I realized that I never gave you a single flower. That’s why I crossed the universe for you.”
13. Lee Gon and Lee Lim face-off
- Episode 15: When Lee Gon finally caught Lee Lim with the help of Captain Jo and Detective Kang. That’s power blocking right there.
14. Kim Eun-sook’s signature hero walk
- Episode 16: Of course. This is divine. Fade In Gravity.
15. Lovers — slash — Time Travelers
Finale Episode: Every episode of TKEM involves a lot of brainwork due to Kim Eun-sook’s storytelling treatment. It’s like jumping from one scene to another, urging you to press rewind or pause to analyze a scene (or ask a friend). So we anticipated a more complicated treatment, stemming from social theories, as we reach the finale of TKEM. And while we’re at it, ready for a Goblin-like heartbreak and plot twist, Kim Eun-sook has decided to give us… a simple ending. Simple yet unpredictable. I guess this is her way of thanking us after 15 weeks of mental exhaustion. Lol.
Though ‘parallel universe’ is the premise of the story, time-traveling becomes the hero solution for TKEM. Lee-Gon time-traveled to reset the past; to kill Lee Lim. But Lee Gon and Tae-Eul also time-traveled to make their relationship work. And since it’s improbable to make their love story happen in their respective worlds, they traveled from one universe to another; one timeline to another just to grow old together.
It was a satisfying ending; very embracing and consistent with the characters. Unassuming Tae-Eul didn’t aspire to become a queen. She just loves Lee Gon. It was refreshing to see the level of contentment in Lee Gon and Tae-Eul’s relationship after everything. Mutual effort. And I loved how the writer redeemed the story of each character via reset. It all made sense. Lee Gon’s sacrifice was worth it. He is the king, after all. That’s his calling. Remember what’s written in The Four Tigger Sword?
My post-finale realization: It’s a common belief that one can’t fight fate. But we have the power to control our ending, making our dream scenarios work. Just like Lee Gon and Tae-Eul. And it takes a lot of heart and hard work to make the flow of unfavorable fate favorable to you.
What’s your most-loved scene from TKEM? Stream TKEM on Netflix now.
“Just like that, we decided to love the fate that chose us.
Just for today and only today.
And forever.”
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Credits to all the photos used.
