THE SWORD
OF
ARAMUN
EPISODE 8
LEE JOON
GI’S
GROUNDBREAKING
TOUR DE FORCE
ACTING AND
ACTION
PERFORMANCE
IN
THE SWORD
OF
ARAMUN
THE
GROUNDBREAKING
2023
TELEVISION SERIES
|
|
 What are the global audiences excited about in Episode 8 of The
Sword of Aramun? Let me begin by saying that without the cast and crew, whose
lifeblood created the stories that we have watched, we would not have such a beautiful
masterpiece. It is not unknown that the war-based television series has been
swamped by praises. The thirst for new episodes seemed unquenchable; the
audience demand more. One cannot but praise the cast and crew for such an
exciting episode.
Lee Joon Gi has been lavishly praised since Episode 1 for his sterling dual-character acting performance, dazzling action and marvellous horse-riding skills through which he is able to present a
stunning, intense masculinity, natural charisma and creative energy. In Episode 8, Inaishingi, portrayed by
Lee, boldly confronts his worst fear of being unprepared for a horrendous
war.
Lee Joon Gi's silent acting and Jang Dong Gun's loud acting are juxtaposed in the scene in which Tagon pretends to be mad. Was the wily king crazy or not crazy? It was difficult to tell. While Tagon is loquacious, Saya is quiet. Saya's silence is eloquent. His wide variety of emotions are communicated by his exquisitely nuanced eye and facial expressions, movements and body language. As the king rants and raves, the camera records Saya's most intimate nuances of emotion and thought. Saya's face is a combination of fear, confusion, alarm, dismay, anxiety, distress and concern. What Saya does not understand, he fears. What Saya conceals is more important than what the king reveals. Upon seeing that Tagon is all worked up, Saya finally kneels to the delight of the king. The multiple international-awarded actor, Lee Joon Gi's sterling acting performance is evidenced by his ability to inscribe his emotions in the silent images he makes. It is no wonder Lee is globally loved and respected as an actor and artiste. Shin Sae Kyeong surprises Internet critics for her brilliant acting performance and her delightful, lovely
and sensual Ollimsani Dance. Shin’s beauty and demeanour make her look like a goddess. It’s undeniable that she is suited for the role. She, like the multi-talented Lee Joon Gi, is a casting coup for the production team.
The beautiful and sensual chemistry of the actors Lee Joon Gi and Shin Sae Kyeong, and Lee Joon Gi and Kim Ok Vin can be felt by the audience.
Saya, portrayed by Lee, loves Tanya, played by Shin
but she does nor return his love. Though his love is unrequited, he is not
‘cured of love’. His powerful portrayal of love, passion and yearning, which
is perhaps a hundred times greater than in the past, is reflected in his expression
and eyes.
Lee's chemistry with Kim Ok Vin is also obvious as alluded to in the great Gochiju Rock scene. It's impossible not to rave over Director Kim Kwang Sik; Director of Cinematography, Choi Chan
Ming for the beautiful underwater photography; the Lighting Director and the Computer Team; whose magic hands, cinematography, lighting and special
effects have enhanced our senses. The Sword of Aramun carried underwater
photography to lengths seldom seen in television dramas. We don’t know the
tricks of the various trades but their work has captured the imagination of
the audience. Many scenes are not just crowd pleasers but also critic pleasers. Kim Young Hyun and Park Sang Yeon, the screenwriters, whose sweeping riveting tale
of good and evil has everyone amazed with their description of the eclectic mix of culture, tradition
and community, particularly the fascinating Momo Tribe. The imagined fantasy Momo culture is just so fascinating from their water rituals to the
repayment of debts and favours, and the fantastic ability to swim underwater. The twist,
the retrieving of the meteorite from the seabed and rolling it down the hill
to breach the walls of the Molabeol Castle, is surprising. The magnificent unique high fantasy setting distinguishes it from other television fantasy tales or Joseon
tales.  There are many beautiful costumes created by the Wardrobe Department: Tanya's lovely white dress for the Ollimsani Dance and Taelaha's dress worn at the seaside. The OSTs particularly, The Chosen One and Bring Down The Giants are well loved. Lastly but not least, the various members and cast of the crew.
This amazing tale of sacrifice, romance and magic, which is redolent with
lavish detail with its intriguing characters, is brought to life by the many
talented cast and crew, including the supporting actors, many of whom play the
various leaders of the Ago Union with perfection. A BLOODLESS REVOLUTION
In this episode of the sprawling tale, Tanya, the High Priest with elegance and grace, overhead Saya’s grand plan to take Arthdal and
demanded to know the full details. He turned to deal with her barrage of
questions.
Holding her gaze steadily with his piercing eyes, Saya, calmly
emphasised their previous plan with its prophetic statement, ‘The original
plan with Mubeck was to kill Tagon, take down Taealha and we, the three
Children of Prophecy, will take over this world.’ Her pulse must have
quickened when she looked at him in the eye. They shared the same ideal and she liked the sound of the sentiment that The Three Children of Prophecy would shape the future
of Arth.
Groomed perfectly for her High Priest role, Tanya was strong,
talented and courageous. It would be an auspicious day when a new dawn broke
for Arthdal. A new era without Tagon and Taealha. It would need more than
courage to bring down the king and queen. It would need cunning, wit,
intelligence, strategy and determination to strike effectively.
Nunbyeol interrupted their conversation. Tanya had erroneously
thought that she was a weak child but the girl had grown up to be physically the
strongest in the world.
It seemed Tanya had already made a big decision about her plans
for the future. Tanya was curious about why Saya had returned. It would have
been better if he had erred on the side of caution. It was risky and foolish
of him to be in Arthdal. It must have made his heart leap as he surveyed her beautiful and radiant face for signs that she loved him a little. Perhaps, he thought she did. His face, after all, resembled Inaishingi’s face. He might have been jealous of his twin.
His intense expression deepened and he declared that it was now the world of the Igutus. Purple
blood, which was bestowed upon them as a proof of blessing, was now potent. Moreover,
Aramun’s Sword had appeared.
Sensing his naked ambition as he studied the Sword embedded in the tree stump, she
reminded him that he had emphasized the three Children of Prophecy. His
clever reply was that the very core of the plan was both he and she would kill
Tagon and welcome Inaishingi into Arthdal. He did not allow his gaze to roam again but stayed in focus. Having
met Eun Seom, he stressed that they had become allies. He declared that the
twin brothers would bring peace to
Arthdal with as little bloodshed as possible. A revolution without bloodshed
was the crucial way to her heart.  When he stared at the Aramun’s Sword, he noticed the markings
on it. They were similar to the Lichtenberg Figures on his brother’s hand. It
was something that he couldn’t ignore; he understood the significance of it. Inaishingi
Eun Seom was the owner of the sword. His twin brother was the hero; he was
the powerful and much-loved leader; he also had the love of the girl he
desired, the magic horse as well as the Sword.
For the audience, there is a power in the telling of the story
of unrequited love. Lee Joon Gi as Saya, perfectly fits the vision he wants
to project. He has created the Saya whom the viewers sympathise and empathise
with. The audience are swept along by Saya's emotions, which for the many years,
have made his life worth living.
A TALKING FISH CALLED KARAT  All the leaders of the Ago Union were irritated with the Momo
brat, Karat, whose life and culture was related to the sea. He was pampered
with a feast and even with a nice, cool bath. Although they were courteous to
him and had treated him with deference, Karat insisted on behaving like a lout and hooligan; he enjoyed making himself unpleasant by being insolent, boorish and
ungracious. He was out to create mischief by his endless insults which were designed
to stir up the wrath and draw the ire of those who were assigned to look after him.
Tachukan, in a show of frustration, barked at his comrades to treat
Karat as a talking fish. An image of a relentless babbling idiot comes to mind. Tachukan seemed to
have all the funny or witty lines. The talking fish continued to bait them,
trying to wreak havoc on their tolerance and patience.
In the background of the scene, there seemingly is an image of
a fisherman’s net. The understandably dismayed Ago men would be pleased to
know that the talking fish would soon be caught by the wily fisherman, Inaishingi.
Eun Seom arrived at the hut where Karat was ensconced and served
food and wine. The bratty Momo, who was arrogant, refused to stand up or
observe formalities. Thumbing his nose at everything done to please him, he
was repulsively rude even to the point of spitting out the sumptuous food he
had happily been gulping down.
If Inaishingi bristled at the barbs or rudeness of the talking
fish, he did not show it. He was a tower of patience. Inaishingi knew that
his warriors were heavy of heart. The looming war was playing heavily on
their minds. They had to obtain the help of the Momo men at all cost.
Inaishingi asked Karat for a favour but Karat brusquely rejected the request. Inaishing did not feel sufficiently maligned to answer back. Karat was asked about his nephew, Hotau, who was their Momo chief, Karika’s son. It was Eun Seom who had saved the life of the son of Karika, the Xabara or chief. Karat reminded them that the debt had been repaid when the Momo tribe saved Inashingi from the deadly waterfall.
Inaishingi smiled. His eyes glittered. His gaze, turning intense and unsettling, rested on Karat. He reminded Karat that everyone
in Ago land must obey Inaishingi’s orders. Karat contemptuously ignored him. Speaking highly of Karika, he declared he only obeyed her orders. Unfazed by his scorn, Inaishingi walked off but suddenly, wheeled around.
Eyeing him with a look that combined amusement and mockery, he pointed a finger
at him and predicted, ‘Before the sun sets today, you will kneel before
me.’
When Karat was walking away from the Ago camp with Hae Kkadak, he duly praised Inaishingi. Inashingi’s personality and character had drawn his full attention. Although he would not bend to Inaishingi’s will, he was impressed. The cool and calm leader did not act out of character; he did not take umbrage at his insults. The Momo thug was clearly surprised by Inaishingi’s great restraint. The foulmouthed vagabond seemed to have a soft spot for the great leader after all.
‘Now I understand why. Even though he was insulted that much, he
held it all in. Everyone can hold it in when they are weak, unless they’re
idiots. But holding it in when you have such power is not easy. He was
amazing.’   MOMO CULTURE GALMA REPAYMENT FOR A GOOD DEED
DONE An
interesting aspect of Momo culture was the concept of Galma. The Momo
people subscribe to the concept of repayment. Any physical action, work or
deed will have consequences. Cause and Effect. Their tribe’s principle is
they will repay good deeds and take revenge on bad deeds.
Ipsaeng who had been instructed to go to the Agoha Forest to
fetch something, had returned with a
precious ornament.
Having caught up with Karat, Inaishingi dismounted from his horse and crossed the space between them in the forest in a few strides. Fearful of being killed by the great
warrior, Karat warned that if he was killed, his Momo tribe led by Xabara
Karika, would take revenge. He was the beogembari or half brother, her kin,
after all. To his surprise, Ipsaeng erupted in laughter.  Inaishingi looked regal as he proclaimed, ‘In the name of Xabara Karika who repays big and shines brightly, Inaishingi of the Ago Union, now requests repayment for his past deed.’
Proudly showing him the precious Momo round gold-blue ornament
given to him by Xabara Karika, the great Ago Union leader ended by repeating what Karika had reminded
him to say, ‘All water is connected.’
The scene reminds us of the words in Chief Seattle’s Speech (1854), 'This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.' Does it mean the idea that everything is separate is just an illusion? The ornament, Ipsaeng states, is proof that the owner, Inaishingi did Karika a huge deed or favour and that deed needed to be repaid. Good deeds done in past come back to reward you. And it also implies that
the opposite is true. Bad deeds come back to haunt you. Karat’s incredulity was obvious; his arrogant demeanour dimmed
slightly. Inaishingi finally had the Momo brat at his mercy. Sucking in his
ego and arrogance, Karat knelt in deference to the oath of the Momo tribe. ‘I,
Karat, child of Momo, will repay you whatever you wish.’ All the other 3 Momo warriors, raising their long rectangular saw-like swords above their heads, also dutifully knelt. The expression of happiness and triumph on Inaishingi’s face
was refreshing. There was a smile on
his mouth and laughter in his eyes. Smiling at the memory of Sateunik, his deceased Momo friend, he
thanked him in his heart. He had helped them even in death. THE METEORITE FROM THE LAKE OF STARS  The audience know the mission the four strong young men from
the Momo tribe had to carry out. With their waists tied to long, thick ropes,
they leapt into the Lake of Stars to retrieve the meteorite, a lump of space
rock which was lodged in the seabed. The whole process of diving into the
lake and hauling up the heavy rock was accompanied by the moving OST, The Chosen One, which
suits the mood of the moment.
There is palpable excitement among the members of the Ago
Union, who had come out in full force to assist and witness the momentous event.
The four tough young men plumbed the depths of the lake.     The underwater photography is impressive. The lake is seen in
its most beautiful tints of aquamarine and turquoise. Such photography
demands skill and imagination. The human element, the four figures, each tied
to a long rope makes such a startling and arresting picture. The diagonal
lines of ropes show the movement and direction they were heading to in the
quiet lake. It looked like a scene from an action-adventure movie. There are changing viewpoints
that show the depth of the lake. The vastness and depth of the lake dwarfed
the small human figures.
When Karat tugged at the rope, it was to signal that they had
secured the ropes to the meteorite. It was time to pull up and heave the
meteorite up and onto the beach. There was feverish activity. Everyone in the
union, who had put their weight behind the project, hauled up the meteorite.
You can’t but be bedazzled by the ginormous meteorite. A fresh tingle of excitement climb up the viewer’s spine.
Inaishingi walked around to
investigate the humongous boulder. When Inaishingi caressed it, the people roared
out their approval and happiness.  Everything connects together. The three Children of Prophecy
were born on the night of the Blue Comet. And there is a meteorite from
space.
THE RETURN OF SAYA FROM MOLABEOL CASTLE Saya returned from Molabeol Castle much to the shock of the
king and the consternation of the palace officials.  Tagon, who had been was proven to be wrong about Saya being
dead, was unperturbed. Neither was he embarrassed. He was determined to further
stain the queen’s reputation. The king announced that he had prepared something for him. Saya
waited in dread and trepidation, fearful of what horror he might have to
witness next. Perhaps, it was a warning to those who oppose Tagon. DAEYOK PUNISHMENT It was the prerogative of the ruthless king to mete out the Daeyok
Punishment or Hell Punishment to Chobal, his minister who had opposed him. He was killed with a
hood or sackcloth over his head and with hands tied to his back.   Those who wouldn’t acknowledge the king’s sacred purple blood
given by Airuju would be decimated and torn from limb to limb. The king pointed
out that Saya had suggested the slaughter of men who didn’t acknowledge their
purple blood. Those who oppose Tagon would only understand when something was
explained visually, the butchering of rebels right before their very eyes.
When the command to kill was made, the vicious blade parted Chobal’s body and
the old man slumped forward. The burst of blood made everyone, including Saya, pale.
The rage might have risen within Saya but he kept his restraint. Those in the
audience might have felt faint with fright. It was a brutal display of power.
It was then that the audience realized that Evil existed. It
was real. The people of Athdal were terrorized. It was the beginning of The
Reign of Terror by the brutal despot. The lesson is clear. You cannot
negotiate with evil. The ministers or soldiers had been killed because of opposing views.
Notice the hatred in Saya's eyes In private, Saya had an opportunity to look Evil in the face, at close quarters. Tagon was not out of touch with reality.   In fact, the king was quite sane and in control of his senses; he even checked Saya’s hand to
confirm that he was truly Saya and not his benetbeot brother. Eun Seom
or the fake Saya was slashed on his left hand when they were pushing up the
statue of the god, Mihae during the battle at Ttesarichon.
The scene is striking; it is a beautiful high
contrast of white and black colours. Good versus Evil. Saya is highlighted and
Tagon in the shadows in a semi-darkened room. The morning sunlight casts shadows
onto the floor. The highlighted areas provide texture and pattern in this
picture.
It seemed that the hypocritical king had realised his mistake of not trusting Saya.
‘I should have embraced you from the start. I should’ve trusted you and
listened to you.’ He hugged Saya tightly but the other was full of hatred for
him because he had set Taealha on him. Tagon launched into a tirade of sorts; he ranted and raved. Bewildered, Saya was rendered speechless. Disoriented by the king’s fury, he could not hazard a guess about the state of mind of Tagon. Tagon placed his mouth next to Saya’s ear, ‘On the day the
zelkova tree was revealed, Airuju himself told me, his son and Aramun, to
kill everyone who resists the divine blood.’ His comments were met with silence. The blood thirsty Tagon was taking punishment to absurd extremes. He had become, without rival, the most evil person in Arthdal. Saya was alarmed. A range of emotions, like a succession of waves, rippled across Saya's features as the king raged on and on. Fear. Confusion. Dismay. Anxiety. Distress. Concern. Madness seemed to be manifesting itself. Tagon will stop at nothing in
his quest for power. He would lay waste to the lives of everyone who opposed
him. ‘Have you heard the rumour I have gone crazy?’
Tagon shouted, ‘I’m pretending to be crazy because I need to.’ He
had to ferret out those who despised Igutus. But the chaos amidst carnage of
people killed by the king was enough proof that he had gone half mad. Mentally disturbed people would not admit they are crazy. Tagon stared at something at the window, seemingly, his dead father. Saya studied him. Was he pretending to be mad? There was an undercurrent that Saya couldn’t pinpoint. It would be reckless to make the wrong move and so, he shrewdly fell to his knees. ‘Why, are you surprised? You can’t tell, can you? It is confusing,
is it? Am I really crazy or am I pretending to be crazy?’ Tagon was not a person to
be trifled with.   The ministers were shocked and fearful that Tagon’s madness had
gone out of hand. He had accused the queen of killing Saya when actually Saya was
alive. He had confined the queen to her room. Who would fall victim next? The king ordered the queen to be released.  The queen did not cave in under pressure. Saya, who had aligned
himself with the queen, informed her that the king was more unstable that he had thought. The queen called the shots. She listed out what she wanted
done. She had the clarity of vision to topple the murderous king.
First, the troops that they can use. Saya says Commander Sodang
and Deputy Commander Daesayi who returned with him would side them. Second. Yeonbal, Gitoha and the Third Corps. The two won’t join their side but he’ll try to persuade them. Third. Tanya. He will make her join their side. But Tanya was
not the same Tanya as before. Taealha suspected that Tanya was supported by a secret organization.
They had to be in full control of the High Priest.
The palace was full of intrigues. The king. The queen. Tanya. The
common denominator was Saya. He was a party to all intrigues.
Tanya instructed her followers about the impending rebellion. The
pivotal moment was at hand. ‘It might be as soon as tomorrow or we might
have to wait.’ Only Tanya and her priests were to be involved. She wanted
the others to be safe from harm for it was a dangerous mission, of whose outcome was
uncertain. The happiness of the Ago Union was shortlived. Hae Kkadak
disappointed them in saying it would take at least 6 months to produce the
iron swords.
If they had a huge kiln to melt the meteorite, big bellows,
craftsmen or workers, it would take about a month. Proper diligence was done
to ensure the successful production of iron swords.  Suhana, the spy for Tagon, received another message from Arthdal
through her messenger bird, a falcon. Falcons symbolize ambition and aspiration, superiority and dominance, freedom and victory. Many communities also believe that falcons are the deity of warfare.
Inaishingi and Ipsaeng were waiting for Suhana in her quarters.
They were there to give her instructions. Inaishingi’s face reflected his
happy state of mind. He wanted to know the numbers of axes and saws in their possession.
Suhana seemed to be in charge of military weapons, tools and equipment.
Something caught Inaishingi’s attention. On her table was a
picture of the supposed murder weapon used on him, a strange dagger he had sketched
for the Arthdal court when he impersonated Saya.
When he spied the image, suspicion, hurt and sadness must have
rippled through him when he realised what that meant. Betrayal. She was the spy for
Arthdal.
The background of the scene swirls around him in tints and shades of brown. Things seemed to swim around him. Traditionally,
brown had been thought of as an unclean colour. In western culture, brown, the colour of the earth, is often
used to symbolise nature, autumn, melancholy, decay and death. Perhaps,
something died in him. Trust.
Eun Seom made a dramatic shift in his decision not to tell her
their plans. He told her they were making catapults. Instead of telling her
that their target was Molabeol Castle, he announced that they would attack
Mobon Castle. Eun Seom’s instructions surprised Ipsaeng. Saya nonchalantly told Chaeeun about the coup they were
organizing. Nunbyeol might do what was most important to her and what she wished for
the most: To Kill Tagon.
Cold and detached, he talked of their plan to topple Tagon. His
plan seemed infallible. He considered that Nunbyeol was their secret weapon. Chaeeun
was worried about her adopted sister. Would her Neanthal sister get out
safely? Chaeeun was anxious that Nunbyeol would bleed and die despite being the
strongest creature in the world. Saya had to meet someone important. Saya met Chojaha, the minister whose ear was sliced off by Tagon. It was learnt later that Chojaha was one of Tagon’s spies. One can't be too careful. The hypocritical minister was trying to trap Saya. He instigated him to rebel against the brutal king, who had shown unfettered rage and had brutally killed one minister, and had cut off Chojaha's ear. Saya should have known better but he threw caution to the winds. The palace was rife with
intrigues, betrayals and there were constant shifting alliances. TAGON’S LOYAL MINIONS Tagon, as usual, was using the name of Airuju, their highest god, to
punish those who opposed him. He was exiling the Hopi tribe from Arthdal.
Yeonbal, the commander of the Third Corps threatened to kill himself if the
king did not release the young people born in The Year of The Singing Wolf. Gitoha also courageously chided the king for his cruelty.
The king, in his rage, sentenced Yeonbal and Gitoha to Daeyok Punishment and have
them impaled. THE GREAT GOCHIJU ROCK THE INTRIGUING SYMBOL  Taealha narrated the history of the Hae tribe to Saya against the background of the great Gochiju Rock which rose like ominous pillar from the sea. But what is even more stunning is there are finger patterns on the Gochiju Rock. What is the message conveyed by those who had created such a structure? Can we decode the message? Is the crude structure disguised to eloquently narrate a story? The finger patterns were also inscribed on the pendant given to Saya by the Neanthals. The Neanthals were a rough, primitive race so their communcation skills were, at best, rudimentary. Near the Great Gochiju Rock was that statue of Aramun Haesulla seated on a rearing horse which was erected on a much smaller rock.
The queen talked about the poisons of her tribe including the mahasin poison used by her grandfather to escape with his life. Saya was convinced that Tagon could not trust anyone and would rapidly self-destruct.
He slayed people and hated those who
oppose him with every fibre of his being. If Arthdal was destroyed, his own power would collapse. It would be his own undoing.
He asked her if she was wavering in her plot against Tagon. No
way. She was sad and might end up crying like when she killed her father. She
had not lost the resolve to win this struggle against the king. Taealha planned to carry out the uprising on the night Gilseon
embarked on the war. If she didn’t destroy Tagon then, victory would stray
further from their reach. But surprisingly, she wanted the king captured alive.
Taealha talked about Mihol, her
father and Tagon in the same breath.
They were both brutal male chauvinists and domineering tyrants who oppressed
and took advantage of the helpless women in their lives. Mihol, the ambitious hard-hearted head of the Hae tribe, treated her like his chattel. He had not only compelled her to spy on King Sanung, Tagon's despotic father, but also forced her to provide Sanung with sexual favours. The tyrannical and ruthless Tagon also took advantage of her before he turned against her.
THE ATTACK ON MOLABEOL
CASTLE Inashingi held an emergency night meeting to command the
leaders to attack Molabeol Castle immediately. Molabeol Castle, and not Mobon
Castle. They accepted his instructions without questioning him. Suhana wanted
to confirm the fact but he ignored her.
Badoru, who had already completed the assault preparations, was waiting for them on Mana Hill. Those at Molabeol Castle had the biggest shock of their lives. They
had expected an attack on Mobon Castle but not Molabeol Castle. They had been
given the wrong intelligence information. Syoreujagin had actually dug a deep trench or track that led
from the top of the hill right to the gate of the Molabeol Castle. He did it
on the pretext that previously, General Saya had instructed him to do it.
The track would guide the trajectory
of the movement of the meteorite as it rolled down the hill.  Like in bowling, they were going to push and roll the heavy, globular
meteorite down the hill to knock and smash the castle. The force of the heavy
metal and gravity would breach and crack open the wall of the Molabeol
Castle. As expected, the plan worked perfectly. The meteorite rolled rapidly down the track; the crash had a
devastating effect. And the Ago warriors galloped down the hill in full force to
take over the castle. Inaishingi on his horse was a sight to behold as he
rode forward on his stallion.
As one watches the fierce warrior-hero, one is immersed in a
feeling of overpowering admiration and respect. Rugged. Masculine. Powerful. An
enigmatic god. Such a compelling and electrifying screen presence. The Cantonese
would gush, ‘Ho Man-ah! So manly.  THE EXECUTION Yeonbal and Gitoha were executed in front of everyone because
they refused to swallow back their comments. Yangcha, who had observed the execution, was
also shocked. He had lost respect for the king.     THE REQUEST FOR THE OLLIMSANI DANCE  Two soldiers and Yangcha requested that Tanya perform the Ollimsani
Dance, a ritual performed to guide a soul to god. The dance was for the departed souls of
Yeonbal and Gitoha, and those who were unfairly killed by the king. But, if
she performed the dance for those accused of treason, she would also be guilty of
treason.
Yangcha also joined those who wanted to overthrow Tagon. Saya.
Bakryangpung. Sodang. Chaeeun. Chojaha. Taealha and her assistants. It was unfortunate that they were ignorant of the enemy within their group.
The next day, Gilseon and the royal guards would leave to
subjugate the Hopi Tribe. They planned to capture Tagon alive and hoped to
change Arthdal history. CHAEEUN AND HER NEANTHDAL SISTER, NUNBYEOL The sisters met secretly. Chaeeun advised Nunbyeol to run if
their plan failed. TAGON AND TAEALHA A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
The light streamed through the window of the room in which the king and queen were to have their last friendly conversation. They spoke about fatherhood and the bygone days. Taealha demanded
that he apologise to her for imprisoning her in the Fortress of Fire, so he
did.
But he predicted in the future he would do things that he would
be sorry for. She did the same. They more or less implied their intentions.
They posed an imminent threat to each other. But, Taealha candidly revealed her past feelings for him. She trusted him. She
risked her life for him many times. She could continue to do the same but she
could not be part of him, no matter how hard she tried.
Tagon stated that if she had wanted that, she shouldn’t have
made him king, to which she conceded. Despite their sentiments, the audience know that they would
soon show their true colours. They would betray each other. THE OLLIMSANI DANCE
Tanya would perform the spiritual dance for those whose souls
had recently departed. If their plans fail, Tanya could escape by boat to Eun
Seom. Saya had prepared a boat on the outskirts of Arthdal for her.
Tanya confessed that she appreciated the fact that Saya always thought of her, took care of her and worried about her.
He stared at her tenderly. They reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate and then, and if they succeeded, they would welcome Eun Seom to Arthdal.
But, the Sword lodged in the stump of the zelkova tree caught his eye. He realised that the Lichtenberg Figures markings on the sword matched those on Eun Seom’s hand.
Tanya, a beautiful vision in her flowing white robes, performed the Ollimsani dance. She looked like a captivating
goddess. The dance was sensual and mesmerizing.
THE REBELLION SAYA
While Sadong confronted the palace guards, Saya confronted
those soldiers who were involved in hanging up corpses. A group of soldiers
surrounded the intransigent soldiers and mowed them down. The obstinate royal guards were also killed. TAEALHA
Taealha was given a bottle of Mahasin, a special poison which would ensure her survival. The queen led the rebels up the palace. The group of soldiers led by Saya marched on to a door which
led into another part of the palace.
Nunbyeol was in Tagon’s bedroom. She knew Tagon was up to
something when he hummed a tune.
When Tagon questioned Nunbyeol about her personal life, she didn’t
think it was necessary to hide it. She foolishly revealed her intention of exacting
revenge on her father’s murderer. She was too emotional to notice that the
king was wearing his armour in the
middle of the night.
When Tagon taunted her, she let her guard down. He boasted
that three Children of Shahati, who had black tongues, the best assassins in
the organization, failed to kill him. He revealed that everything he did was
to filter out the traitors since he was going on a war with the Ago beasts.  The Third Corps had arrived at the gate. Bakryangpung welcomed them but when they marched past
him, he realised something was not right. It was too late.
At this point, Tanya’s ceremonial bells or talisman fell apart.
And she realised the 2 supposedly dead persons were still alive. Chaeeun realised something was wrong. She ran to the palace to tell Saya that they had fallen into a trap.
Chojaha, whose ear had not been sliced, had
fooled everybody. He was Tagon’s spy. The supposedly dead Gitoha and Yeonbal
were on horseback riding towards them. They had conspired with the king to take
them down. Saya and his soldiers were trapped.
Realising that they had been tricked, Tanya instructed Yangcha
and her priests to scatter so as not to be caught.
The queen and her supporters were blocked by some soldiers.
Gilseon and his soldiers were there to repel her.
Nunbyeol showed her Neanthal heritage - her blue eyes and blue blood.
Tagon didn’t know that she was a Neanthal. Viewers who are excited at the prospect that she would kill Tagon would be bitterly disappointed. Though she held the ultimate power as she was the most powerful creature in the whole world, she did not have the killer instinct. She had failed to understand herself and her mission. She would fight like a woman possessed but her carefully crafted plan would fail pathetically.  |
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