K-Drama Review: Faith, Episodes 17-18

 

Read Episode reviews for:

Faith--Episodes 1-2
Faith--Episodes 3-4
Faith--Episodes 5-6
Faith--Episodes 7-8
Faith--Episodes 9-10
Faith--Episodes 11-12
Faith--Episodes 13-14
Faith--Episodes 15-16
Faith--Episodes 17-18


Contains Spoilers for Episodes 17-18

Eunsoo wakes up, dreaming of words written by her future self, all about saving Choi Young's life.

Go, Go Save Him Now!

She goes and asks D if he's planning to kill Choi Young. *headdesk* You can't just ask the newest villain in town what he's plotting! She tells D she'll do anything he wants in order to save Choi Young, but something tells me this will not end well. D says he has to get Choi Young out of the way to get Eunsoo to be one of his people, so that in turn he can get Gicheol on his side. Complicated reasoning, but I follow.

 

D says he'll stop the attack on Choi Young if Eunsoo marries him, meaning D. He seems to be expecting refusals and theatrics, but Eunsoo says, " That's all I have to do? Marry you? Then let's do it." D gives orders to call off the attack, and Choi Young is saved.

 

In the higher realms of the story, the King and Queen are still in exile, but doing pretty well, all things considered.

 

Loooooving the Costumes. So Much.

 

I wish the plot sections with the King were more interesting, because I love the characters of the King and Queen, and I really like the actors playing the parts, but their scenes never seem to have the same significance as Eunsoo and Choi Young's. But we see the King and Choi Young have more "friend" moments, and the King reverses Choi Young's status as a criminal. Huh. I had forgotten about that.

 

The royals get a letter saying Eunsoo is going to marry D. The Queen is horrified at the news, and is even more worried about how Choi Young will take it. Lady Choi, his aunt, tries to keep the secret from him, but Choi Young sees in his aunt's face that something is wrong. She finally admits that Eunsoo has consented to marry D, though no one knows why.

 

Still Doesn't Believe It.

 

 Eunsoo even has to dress up all queenly, just hours after her engagement to a member of the royal family.

 

She Looks Good In Anything, But I Prefer the Old Look.

 

She goes to meet with D, who is treating her really politely and asking if she wants to sit on the throne, since she might well become the future queen and all. He says, "From now on, I'll treat you like a queen who came from the heavens, and you can treat me like your husband and king." How can this simple combination of very sweet words sound so patently awful?

 

D wants to make-believe this grand fantasy about them meeting for the first time and preparing to be glorious rulers together, but Eunsoo shoots that idea down. She says, "I can forgive you for poisoning me because I'm better now, but I can never forgive you for trying to kill him."

 

That's What You Get For Attempting to Off the Hero!

 

 Choi Young fights his way into the palace and almost kills D, but Eunsoo stops him. When they're alone, Eunsoo tells Choi Young that she needs to stay with D so he'll give her more pages of her future diary, which may contain even more information on how to keep Choi Young alive. Hello there, repetitive plot point.

 

Choi Young thinks she's being foolish because D is too dangerous to deal with, but he seems willing to let her try her plan.

 

Hugs. Yes!

 

However, that diary isn't going to do anybody any good, because D destroys the final pages.

 

In the stateroom, King Gongmin's attendants arrive and talk to D, announcing that Choi Young is now going to stay in the palace to keep the peace, by order of the real king. D is allowed to stay in the palace as a temporary regent, though, so we're back to careful moves and playing chess.

 

Though Choi Young Would Rather Be Playing Smash-Your-Face.

 

But the villainy side escalates the conflict again when D decides to move forward his wedding date to Eunsoo. To tomorrow. On the wedding morning, Eunsoo can see no way out of the marriage as D begins to walk with her toward the temple. Then Choi Young shows up again, defying authority and challenging the bad guys. He says "this is the only way," before kissing Eunsoo for the first time, and in front of everybody, to boot.

 

FINALLY.

 

What does he mean, it's the only way? He has to kiss her to call off the wedding? Like licking a candy bar, so no one else will eat it? Ha! And yet, that's exactly what's going on because the next thing Choi Young says to D is that now the wedding must be cancelled. Even Gicheol tells D to call off the wedding for today, since they need to figure how to deal with the rumors that will spread. Choi Young is marched off to prison for his indiscretion, but he breaks out of prison on the daily, so I'm not worried.

 

And now there's a lot of people mobilizing to attack other people. For thirty minutes. I think the King's in danger, but I'm not really paying attention.

 

Checking back in. The true King returns, so yay!

 

And There Was Much Sending And Receiving of Messages.

 

Choi Young and Eunsoo reunite, but she tells him not to waste too much time with her when he's got the newly-returned King Gongmin to welcome back to the palace, Ah, I love how she understands that in most incidences, his duty needs to come first. Soon, she has to comfort him because many of his Wodalchi soldiers died while escorting the King back home. Choi Young feels responsible for everybody and everything, and when anything goes wrong, he always thinks it's his fault.

 

Comforting Him Via Inspirational Hangeul Notes, Which He Can't Read.

 

And now it looks like the King is going to have to declare war on Yuan (part of China) because they've been supporing D's play for the throne. Things are going well overall for the good guys because D is in prison and Gicheol is sentenced to house arrest.

 

The only hitch? Eunsoo's been poisoned by D again. *facepalm* When Choi Young discovers the festering poison-wound on Eunsoo's arm, he lights up with righteous fury. Not just at D, but at Eunsoo for not telling him. He does not. Like. Secrets. Choi Young stalks away, probably to run his sword through somebody, but Eunsoo's not ready to let him go.

 

Don't Let Go, Eunsoo. He's Liable to Do Something Crazy...Er.

 

This hug is particularly significant because she has something she wants to ask him, without looking at his face. She cries and asks, "Do you not want me to go back? Can I stay in this world?"

 

 

 

He says she's suffered a lot in this timeframe already. Would she really want to stay in this world? It's obvious what he wants to say to her, but he can't in good conscience ask her to stay.

 

Our episode ends with a letter from Yuan, demanding to have Eunsoo. Errybody wants the doctor from heaven, don'cha know?

Things I Loved:

1. Lady Choi. Choi Young's aunt is so killer when she's trying to explain to Eunsoo just how crazy a situation she's thrown herself into with the sort-of fake engagement to a treacherous member of the royal family.

Brace Yourself For a Strong Dose of No-Nonsense.

Complaints:

1. Whatever happened to the CGI? In eps 1 and 2, we had abundant (and abundantly cool) animated sequences, plus plenty of CGI action-lighting powers on display. Now, we've had no animation for 13 episodes, and we're only getting a little lightning power usage once every four eps or so. Are we living in a supernatural world or aren't we? The special effects budget must not be what it once was.

Watch Faith on DramaFever.

Episode Evaluations: At last our romance is sealed, but the royal plots begin to drag once more. Is that going to be Faith's pattern--four "up" episodes followed by four "down" episodes? These eps rock in the relationship department, but lack a lot in interesting plot development.

But all is not lost. When Eunsoo was crying, asking Choi Young if he could really forget her, my eyes definitely got misty. There's a heart under all the chess moves in this drama, and I like Faith better when we see it.