Lore In Stone Cities

Hello everyone! It’s been a long time, we shouldn’ve left you, without some drama bits to tune into! Lore and I are back again to discuss Secret Door’s confusion, corruptions, and bath scene with Prince Sado! Every time boo, every time. We also talk about the important things, but I can’t seem to remember now that I mentioned the bath scene. Oh my one track mind… Let’s get to it! The chat… Not baths with Sado…

ExtraKun: So, I want to start by saying this again: If corruption had a lover, it is Secret Door!‏ There is no limits to the malice, deceit, and manipulation in this drama!‏ I love it!‏

Lore: This story is full of twists and turns. As the King said in episode 6—the assembly room is full of people who will act without loyalty. So, I have to admit something and I hope I am not alone in this: I had a heck of a time at first figuring out who was doing what and on what side….this is a complex plot. I think I have it all figured out as of episode 6, but in episode 3/4/5 I still had some moments of “Wait…so is he part of that group, or?!” In fact, there is a part of it that I don’t think we are supposed to know, but as far as the parts we are…yeah, it is complex. Or am I alone in this?‏

ExtraKun: It was a bit confusing, but I think it is purposeful. Because true loyalty within the court, is a figure of speech. Even if you are a Noron or Soron, you can easily be bought—everyone is really out for their own interest. The only people who care about justice and loyalty are those outside the court, like Ji Dam and Chul Soo.‏ I just feel bad for Sun/Sado because all he wants to know is what happened to his friend. Of course there will be some difficulties with the document that everyone is trying to hide, but that is the furthest thing from his mind…

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Lore: That is true, the characters in this drama have motivations that are largely selfish and therefore blur the lines between the different parties (because those selfish motivations push them towards all sorts of actions). Sun / Sado not knowing about the document is really making it interesting, because like you said he is on a track to find out about his friend; while everyone else is running circles around and for that document. He is out to solve a murder case while everyone else is out to play cat and mouse with political power.‏ Seriously it is a really interesting set of events that have kept me on the edge of my seat as I watch—even if I had to stop to figure out what was going on now and then.‏

ExtraKun: Absolutely, you know what I loved besides Lee Je Hoon (Crown Prince Sado) taking a bath?‏

Lore: Haha! No?‏ What?

ExtraKun: I loved when Ji Dam’s dad (Seo Kyoon) was telling off Woon Shim about how there is nothing wrong with his daughter, and how the world needs to change. There is nothing wrong with her seeking justice, or wanting truth to be found out. He wants his daughter to live a full life doing what makes her happy. He is a very forward thinker during this time period.

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Lore: Yes! I liked that part as well. I was also a fan of when he told Sun that while he didn’t want his daughter to do something dangerous, he would not take away something she was passionate about. Ji Dam’s Dad for KDrama Dad of the Year Award! ‏

ExtraKun: Heck yes! We have to remember that for when the time comes. On the opposite end of the spectrum might be Jeonha. He is not the worst, but he is not what I envision as a great father figure. Not only is he a coward, he always allows these people to run over his son. I am still trying to figure out why the Noron’s leader (Kim Taek) has not “fallen off a horse” in a “tragic accident”.‏

Lore: No kidding. On the topic of Father figures, should we discuss the loving Father / Son relationship between Sado and dear old Dad?‏

ExtraKun: Is it loving? It is something… perhaps a skewed type of love. I do believe that the king loves Sado, but at the same time it is borderline cruel. Is that even possible‏?

Lore: I was being a tad bit sarcastic. This is the relationship that I think will define this show (since it was the relationship that basically set everything into motion historically) and it is…well, just weird. Like you said it is loving but borderline cruel. While the King seems to want to give Sado advice he does so with his own motivations apart from just helping his son. The King has been around long enough to know how the game is played and per his own words he trusts no one. So I have a feeling while Sado, who is a lot more innocent when it comes to politics, will believe in his Father it will all come back to bite him in the end.‏

ExtraKun: I already feel it! I need the court to be wiped out and we start over. And while we are tossing people out on their**es, let’s include the crown princess. Why do I detest her so much Lore?‏

Lore: I want to toss her out as well to be honest. I have a feeling she is going to be numero dos in Sado’s downfall. While I dislike her (and because I like Sado so much) I want her gone—but at the same time I think she is an interesting character. The moment when Sado brought her a present and asked her to stop following him we saw another side to the Crown Princess—a brief glimpse of someone who is a lot more vulnerable than she looks. When she was confronted by the king’s concubine we saw it too. And while I don’t feel bad for her by any means I think it is kind of interesting. Now wait until she does something mean and I will be cursing her left and right.

ExtraKun: Look, I was mad after Sado left the room as she was talking to the court lady. Court lady (who will never have the opportunity to get married) was offering some great advice. Crown Princess wants something from Sado that she is not willing to give herself. Ekun is not about those double standards and whatnot. Her vulnerability to me seems self inflicted, so I can only have so much sympathy for her.‏

Lore: You make a valid point—to a point her vulnerability is self inflicted. I am not really that sympathetic to her but I find her kind of interesting. I am guessing when Ji Dam becomes part of the court (because history tells us this will happen) the Crown Princess is going to cease to interest me because she will act like a raving lunatic. For now she interests me. Speaking of Ji Dam, what do you think of her character?‏

ExtraKun: Crown Princess is already a raving lunatic. Remember why she had Sado tailed in the first place? She thought he was out screwing some low bred ho… that’s a no-no. It should only be court ladies! ‏Ji Dam—I like her a lot‏. She is a very admiral young lady. She is smart, thoughtful, and courageous. What more can you ask for in a leading lady?‏

Lore: Yeah, okay, she is already a raving lunatic. So maybe I should have said when she was “more of a raving lunatic” 🙂 I like Ji Dam a lot too. So far she is wonderful as far as a lead female character. So what big things happened in episodes three thru six? Ji Dam went into hiding at the Gisaeng House, the painter BFF of our murder victim was killed…‏ The Crown Prince and Ji Dam became co-investigators of the whodunit…‏

ExtraKun: OMG! The teacher Park Moon Soo is the one who killed BFF to get the truth about the document out. I was like, dude WTF!! Is the way it’s got to be? I am certain it did not have to go down this way.‏

Lore: I am pretty certain as well—was murder really the only way for this to shake out?

ExtraKun: So now we have 2 innocents that were killed on the account of this stupid document. And I am so scared that the little gisaeng that was dating painter BFF will die too.‏

Lore: I would bet that she will be murdered, since she had the picture book from the first murder victim and was dating the second (and was kidnapped to boot). This document is really pushing up the body count—and that is not even taking into account anyone else who was killed in the last twenty years because of the thing (the fire that was set ten years ago, etc). That document just may be the deadliest villain I have seen on a Korean Drama in awhile (well…I may be exaggerating a bit but still—if the document were a person it would be hella effective).‏ #StoptheKillerDoc2k14.

ExtraKun: It would be hella effective. It has people jumping through hoops, taking a serious death count, lying, stealing, etc.‏ One point I have to mention that was pretty gangsta:‏

Lore: That document needs to also make the yearend awards for best villain, hehe.‏

ExtraKun: The document totally gets a nomination for best villain of the year‏! Oh dude who duped Kim Taek with the duplicate copy of the document to save his a**? Priceless. He gets a cookie for being a smart cookie in my book.‏

Lore: Yeah, he was smart to do that. Now let’s see how long he lives…because something tells me his insurance is going to run out eventually. ‏

ExtraKun: Of course it will, but it was smart to have your insurance for enough time to get out of dodge. What else significant happen that we must mention‏?

Lore: I think we need to talk about the scene in episode 6 where the King cried to teacher Park. It piled on the reasons why the King is bat s**t crazy. I mean the crying and the idealism and then the calm. ‏

ExtraKun: I loved that teacher Park was like, “I wish you could have been an actor. It was those tears years ago that made me believe. And I still want to believe you now.” Pretty much as we stated two weeks ago, the Norons put the current king on the throne by killing his father and brother. So when he was made a pariah, Park took pity on him.‏

Lore: And Park knows full well that he has been duped time and time again. The king though—I can see him as a victim of circumstance to a degree and then a lunatic to another degree. But mostly, a lunatic. A smart lunatic, but still a lunatic.‏

ExtraKun: He definitely was a victim, I am just mad it has gone on for this long and how he has dragged Sado into the mess blindly. That is not fair to Sado and it has that element of cruelty we discussed earlier.‏

Lore: I agree, it has gone on too long and dragging his son into the mess is cruel. But maybe we are overlooking something—it’s the document’s fault. It is a super villain after all. It knows what it is doing. #StoptheKillerDoc2k14‏. So, who do you think would win in a fight, the document or Jae Kyung from You From Another Star?‏ I vote for the document.‏

ExtraKun: Oh Document of apocalypse…. ;(‏

Lore: I wouldn’t say that, the document might hear you.‏

ExtraKun: LOL! Final thought?‏

Lore: Secret Door is thrilling to watch, don’t even get me started on how gorgeous it looks, and the acting—yep, love that too. I have high hopes for the next 18 episodes. Oh, and fear the document. Be afraid, be very afraid.‏

ExtraKun: I am hella afraid of the document! I am loving the show for so many aspects as well. One thing I must say before I leave: Sado (played by Lee Je Hoon)? If you invite me to take a bath with you, I will do it every time. Just thought you should know….‏

Lore: LOL!‏ He wouldn’t even need to ask—I would be in the tub waiting. But then the document would probably come in and kill me for not respecting the monarchy. *Sigh, document problems*‏