THE SCHOLAR WHO WALKS THE NIGHT
EPISODE 18
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A most charming smile
Seductive right profile: Lee Joon Gi
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Youthful look
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UNHOLY MESS
Vampires are Everywhere
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THE TYRANNY
OF
THE VAMPIRE KING
Gwi: Vampire king
Gwi's orders
The beginning of Episode 18 of the Korean drama, ‘The Scholar Who Walks The Night’, tells of Gwi’s treachery. King Lee Joon who has been dethroned, is set upon by the soldiers who accompany him during his journey into exile.
Queen Choi Hye Ryung understands Gwi like the palm of her hand and knows that he would not spare the king. The queen loves the king and cares deeply about his life and safety. Therefore, the intelligent queen has taken precautions and premptive action to save the king’s life. Her own men have infiltrated the group of soldiers who are accompanying the former king out of the Joseon capital, Hanyang, and they help him to escape.
King Lee yoon: Fighting his own battle
Gwi informs Queen Choi Hye Ryung that the king has disappeared. He asks her whether she loves him. Gwi thinks lowly of human love as he believes it makes them weak.
Meanwhile, Gwi declares himself to be the new king. He has previously established the Joseon Kingdom with Tae Jo, but now he has decided to rule over the kingdom. He has laid out an elaborate plan to establish his power upon ascension to the throne.
He fabricates some lies to pull wool over the eyes of the people.
1. He pretends to be a hero who has rid the Joseon Kingdom of the wicked vampire who dwells in the palace. The vanquished vampire is none other than Kim Sung Yeol.
2. He has deposed King Lee Yoon because he is perceived to be weak and has been under the control and influence of the wicked vampire, Kim Sung Yeol. The former king has to be exiled from the kingdom.
3. The numerous incidents of vampires appearing in certain places have been solved by him. He showcases his power of being able to kill vampires
4. The coffers of the kingdom, especially the silver in the treasury, have to be made accessible to him. The ministers who are able to collect silver from all over the kingdom would be richly rewarded. The silver would be used to produce silver bullets to kill the vampires. He has obtained a gun to shoot the vampires. He pretends to go on missions to save the people from the vampires. He is, in fact, the perpetrator of the crimes – he has killed people and has turned them into vampires and he misleads the people into thinking that he is the one who can save them from the vampires. It was ironic that the people believe that he is their saviour.
Gwi is actually not interested in ruling the kingdom. ‘Running a country is difficult’, according to the Prime Minister.
The ‘People’s Will’ is important in any political system. One person, that is Gwi, cannot represent the will of the people. Actually, Gwi does not have the mandate to rule over the people. His rule is not legitimate as it does not have the agreement of the Joseon people who should have a say in who should govern them.
People's Will
Gwi has established a tyranny of sorts and is oppressing the people. Tyranny has gained a foothold because the palace officials do not have the courage to stand up against him.
Gwi: Cruel and oppresive rule
Fear
Gwi manipulates and enslaves the people’s minds by creating a group of vampires to instil fear in their hearts and to bring them under his control. He goes out at night to feast on human blood. The dead become vampires. Gwi, in fact, an enemy of the people.
Oppression
It is reported that there are vampires at the outskirts of the city. Being very wily, Gwi tries to gain the support of the palace officials and courts popularity under the pretext of destroying the vampires whom he has created. He fires at them with silver bullets. Those who are bitten by vampires are cremated.
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REVISITING THE PAST
Kim Sung Yeo: Unconscious
Meanwhile, Kim Sung Yeol, has been brought back to safety by Jo Yang Sung, Soo Hyang and Ho Jin.
Kim Sung Yeol has defeated Gwi. Ho Jin says Jo Yang Sun’s blood must have been really strong.
Kim Sung Yeol has been confined to his bed. He has been unconscious and has drifted in and out of his dreams and nightmares. He has not been able to differentiate the past from the present.
Nightmare
In his dreams, the past comes back to haunt him. He sees his parents, Crown Prince Jung Hyun and his first love, Lee Myung Hee.
Vampire Kim Sung Yeol
He says, ‘I’m a beast and cannot be by the side of a human.’
Vampire
He also remembers Ho Jin and Soo Hyang during his first meeting with Jo Yang Sung, the bookseller.
In one of his nightmares, Kim Sung Yeol sees Jo Yang Sun dying at the hands of Gwi. Like Lee Myung Hee, Jo Yang Sun also begs him to suck her blood. He sees himself as a beast, the one who has appeared as his EVIL SELF in his recent internal conflict.
Kim Sung Yeol: Confusion
Kim Sung Yeol's nightmare: Jo Yang Sun sacrifices herself
He wakes up to find Jo Yang Sun at his side. His psychological trauma has caused temporary amnesia. He cannot remember his transformation into a very aggressive and violent vampire.
Sleeping vampire
Kim Sun Yeol
Kim Sung Yeol instinctively suspects that Jo Yang Sun’s blood has made him strong. He lifts the upper of her hanbok or the jeogori and sees her fresh wound.
Lovey-dovey relationship
As the days go by, he reverts to his normal self.
Kim Sung Yeol
He makes Jo Yang Sun promise that she would ‘never leave his side without telling him.’ He holds her. He goes against his animalistic instincts to feed on her.
The three key figures in his life, Jo Yang Sun, Soo Hyang and Ho Jin try to bar him from going out. He insists on finding out the goings-on in the outside world and demands for the return of his black robe.
Discouraging Kim Sung Yeol from leaving the house
To his shock, while strolling outside the house, he discovers that he is a vampire whom people fear.
Handsome vampire
Revisiting the past
Only then does he remember that he has turned into a vicious vampire who has hurt people. The past comes back to him.
Reliving the past
Kim Sung Yeol revisits Gwi’s underground palace and all the memories come flooding back. He realises that he has become a vicious monster after having a taste of Jo Yang Sun’s blood. He meets with Gwi who makes disdainful remarks about his weak condition. Gwi, even though defeated in a fight previously, is not afraid of him because Kim Sung Yeol is now an evil monster in the eyes of the people. Their new king, Gwi is their saviour.
GwiL Disdainful remarks about Kim Sung Yeol
Kim Sung Yeol visits Gwi
Kim Sung Yeol returns home and confesses to Jo Yang Sun that he remembers tasting her blood. He decides to discard the ‘secret plan’ to kill Gwi.
Kim Sung Yeol: Self doubt
Beset by self-doubt and anxiety about the harm he has committed against others, he wonders about his humanity or lack of it. Jo Yang Sun consoles him and hugs him lovingly. She is fully convinced that he is exactly like the night scholar in her novel. She believes in him as he has not only saved her many times but has also saved a lot of people.
A hug from behind
Loving hug
A hug from behind
This is the most significant scene in this episode as it is a moving and passionate expression of love. Jo Yang Sun's genuine and unshakeable belief in Kim Sung Yeol will propel him forward, and give him the confidence to rise to the challenge of destroying Gwi.
Serious Vampire
Meanwhile, Jo Yang Sun uses her writing skills to write a story about the real situation in the Joseon Kindom. The story is about a monster vampire who is actually ruling the kingdom. He is the one who has been killing the people and turning them into vampires. The vampire king puts on a pretence of getting rid of the vampires but the real heroes are a group of people, not Gwi, who help to get rid of the vampires.
Jo Yang Sun's book
Kim Sung Yeol reading Jo Yang Sun's novel
Vampire after feeding
Kim Sung Yeol reads her story and says, ‘I wish things would be like in your story.’
Ho Jin helps her to get her book, ‘The Night Scholar Chronicles’ produced in greater numbers for public consumption.
The people discuss the new book which is widely circulated in the kingdom.
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NEEDED: A GAME-CHANGER
THE CONFLICT BETWEEN
KIM SUNG YEOL AND GWI
Kim Sung Yeol realises that the ‘secret plan’ to destroy Gwi is not feasible and wants to think of another way to get rid of him. Originally, Jo Yang Sun is to surrender herself to Gwi so that when he drinks her blood, he would die.
He is also convinced that if he consumes Jo Yang Sun’s blood and becomes very powerful, he is no better than Gwi, his enemy. He may even transform into a monster who is worse than Gwi.
King Lee Yoon
King Lee Yoon meets with Kim Sung Yeol
King Lee Yoon who is in hiding visits Kim Sung Yeol to discuss the deplorable condition the kingdom is in and together as a team, they decide to help the people against the vampires.
Scattered bodies
The vampires have wreaked havoc everywhere. The truth that is fabricated by Gwi is he is the saviour of the people. The king needs the help of Kim Sung Yeol and Jo Yang Sun in his fight against Gwi.
Kim Sung Yeol and King Lee Yoon go on their crusade to fight Gwi and his vampires.
Exhausted: King Lee Yoon
Frightened people
At first, the people are afraid of Kim Sung Yeol but in the end, they realise that he is a good vampire who has been assisting King Lee Yoon to destroy the vampires. Though a vampire himself, he has fought Gwi, the evil vampire.
Washing blood away
The king and Kim Sung Yeol are exhausted from the fight with the vampires. To Kim Sung Yeol’s surprise, the common people help him to his feet.
Vampire rampage
Kim Sun Yeol
Kim Sung Yeol: bloodied face
Kim Sung Yeol helped by the people
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EPISODE 18
Lee Joon Gi as Kim Sung Yeol
 Sexy Lee Joon Gi
It is undeniable that Lee Joon Gi has outperformed himself in the drama, ‘The Scholar Who Walks The Night’.
Max Shim Chang Min has exceeded expectations. One wonders if performing with a megastar does wonders to him. Rubbing shoulders with such a critically acclaimed actor like Lee Joon Gi must have rubbed off some star dust onto him. Max Shim Chang Min has certainly grown in stature as an actor.
Max Shim Chang Min
Max Shim Chang Min
Lee Joon Gi’s commanding presence in the drama makes him the centrepiece of this very unique and beautifully told story. Lee has displayed his acting skills as a troubled vampire to perfection. No actor can perform this character like Lee Joon Gi can.
Lee commands attention right from the beginning and has been, without any doubt, the lead even then. He has been charismatic, seductive, forbidding, fabulous and more.
Lee Joon Gi
Besides, Lee has set hearts aflutter with his romantic scenes with Lee Yu Bi throughout the drama. They have so much chemistry together.
The beautiful and sweet Lee Yu Bi
    
Great chemistry: Lee Joon Gi and Lee Yu Bi
To sum up, Lee Joon Gi has dazzled everyone with his performance, and no one even wonders why his fandom has increased so radically.
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