[March 2 & 3] “Captivating the King” Episodes 15 & 16: Rating & Recap

tvN’s “Captivating the King” saw a decline in its ratings. The historical drama, which featured Jo Jung Suk and Shin Se Kyung as the leads, recorded a 5.6% average rating nationwide, a drop from its previous episode.

But it reached its peak ratings for its last broadcast on March 3. Nielsen Korea reported that the show scored an average of 7.8% nationwide, setting a new record for itself.

“Captivating the King” episode 15 recap

The episode picks up where the previous one left off, with the King skillfully avoiding a kiss from Court Lady Dong that could have been deadly. But it turns out that she was the one who swallowed the poison, choosing to sacrifice herself for him rather than harm him. She coughs up blood and dies without naming her mastermind, but it’s not hard to guess who it is.

The King wastes no time and confronts the Queen Dowager, who pleads with him to spare Park’s life. But the King is not moved. He has realized that Park and the Queen Dowager were behind the poisoning of his brother. The puzzle is solved and the secret is exposed.

Park learns of Lady Dong’s death from Hyun-bo. He threatens to drag Hyun-bo down with him, so Hyun-bo tries to escape. But he is captured by Sang-hwa.

Hyun-bo spills the beans during Park’s interrogation, implicating him and sealing his fate. Park is tortured and imprisoned, but he refuses to admit his guilt, leaving the King unsure of how to deal with him.

What does the King do with Park? The King is undecided, but he gives mild sentences to Dal-ha and Hyun-bo. Dal-ha gets a few years of hard work, which is lenient for plotting to kill the King. Hyun-bo is banished from the capital, which is harsher but still better than death. Park, however, is a problem for the King.

The solution comes from Myung-ha, who admits that he was part of the scheme with Jee-soo and Dal-ha to assassinate the King. The King orders Myung-ha to poison Park and watch him die, which he agrees to do.

How about episode 15's ending? It ends with a shocking revelation: the Queen Dowager finds out who Mong-woo really is. The King tries to stop her, but he faces another challenge: Prince Rui wants to play Baduk with Mong-woo, according to a Qing envoy. This means that the King might have to send his beloved to another country. The drama reaches its climax, and the final episode will show if the characters will get their happy ending.

“Captivating the King” episode 16 recap

The Queen Dowager is overjoyed when she learns that Hee-soo is a woman, thinking that Lee In will wed her and produce an heir. That has been her main goal from the start, so to see the King’s heart captured by a suitable woman is like winning the lottery.

Lee In, however, does not share her enthusiasm. He loves Hee-soo sincerely and deeply, and he refuses to make her a concubine or to send her to Beijing for the pleasure of another ruler. The Queen Dowager is furious about what she considers to be the King’s ingratitude and disrespect, but he does not care about her complaints.

Why does Hee-soo choose to go to Beijing? The King knows that he can't have it both ways, and so does Hee-soo. Even though she wants to stay with her lover, she decides to go to Beijing for two reasons: One, to maintain the harmony between Qing and Joseon, and two, to see her father, who is there as well.

Lee In isn't happy about this but also recognizes the need, so he teaches Hee-soo how to cope in a hostile dynasty. She should not win every game of Baduk, for example. She should watch what she says and what she does and avoid any trouble. With that, she may be able to survive and come back to Joseon.

What happens to Je-pyo and Hyun-bo? Jong Je-pyo and Hyun-bo both face their doom in the final episode of Captivating the King. The former, a traitor who had plotted with Prince Rui, did his best to impress the Qing emperor, but Lee In was always ahead of him. Finally, the Qing Emperor ordered Je-pyo to be arrested, and Lee In gave him up without any hesitation. The end of a betrayer is never a happy one.

Hyun-bo, too, got what he deserved from Dal-ha before he left for Beijing with Hee-soo. Dal-ha used another violent situation to kill Hyun-bo without implicating himself.

How does "Captivating the King" conclude? Hee-soo comes back to Joseon after 9 months in Beijing. She attained a remarkable position there and helped to establish peace between the two dynasties.

After returning home, Hee-soo could finally be with Lee In honestly and openly, as her real self and with her real name. Lee In proved to be a great ruler; he created a political precedent, eliminated worthy enemies, and won the affection of his people. But he was still fascinated by Hee-soo, and they finally lived happily ever after.

(Source: gukjenews.com, ekn.kr)