Kingdom of the Winds; Closing In

During my Christmas Road Trip I had an opportunity to catch up on Kingdom of the Winds, Song Il Guk’s latest saeguk. 

As Kingdom of the Winds closes in on it’s ending and as much as I groan thinking about the duration of some of the more lengthy serials, I’ve come to realize that those are the shows in which I really commit to the characters.  I’m on episode 32 now of 36 and have warmed up, but it’s very possible that I may not have the same feeling of affection that I had after “Jumong”’s 81 episodes or Dae Jang Geum”’s 50-something eps. 

Ep. 28

There is a lot going on.  Yeojin dies.  Yeonhwa, Yuri and the whole palace grieves.  Baegeuk gets restless and wants the Goguryeo crown for himself.  Muhyul sends in a double agent to find out what Fat Daeso and Buyeo are cooking up. 

Beeyotch Queen spies Yeon and Muhyul in a tender moment, consipires to get a moment of Yeon’s time alone and slaps her.  Ow. That’s gonna leave a mark.

Muhyul and Dojin face off at the end. 

Ep. 29

This ep starts with Muhyul kicking a little ass until Dojin runs away with his tail between his legs.  The episode starts with energy and just keeps delivering.

Yeon is imprisoned by Beeyotch Queen YiJi and we learn that Yeon is indeed pregnant with Muhyul’s baby.  YiJi finds this out too and sends Yeon back to Buyeo.  Dojin finds out that Yeon’s pregnant.  You can imagine how well that goes over. 

Muhyul devises a scheme to cleave in two the tenuous relationship between the Judas Baegeuk and Fat King Daeso.  Daeso, you see, is obsessed with possessing Jumong’s sword.  Muhyul manages to put Jumong’s sword in Baegeuk’s hands with the prophecy that whoever possesses the sword will rule the north.  Baegeuk goes a little nuts.  His tribal elder colleagues see this and work a side deal with Muhyul.

With the alliance between Baegeuk and Daeso broken and with the further degradation of Team Baegeuk, Muhyul and his bunch prepare for war.

Ep. 30

Baegeuk continues his spiral into madness by slicing anyone who doesn’t agree he’s the King of Goguryeo.  He extends this madness right into Yuri’s belly when challenged. 

Dojin, more than just a pretty face, realizes that Muhyul orchestrated the whole “let’s drive Baegeuk crazy” thing.  King Daeso promises Dojin the crown if he’s able to get his hands on Jumong’s sword. 

King Yuri returns in pretty rough shape. 

Ep. 31

King Yuri is dying and we get some very touching moments between Yuri and Muhyul.  Yuri talks again about his seeming abandonment when he was left behind in Buyeo by Jumong.  He regrets his poor handling of the situation when Muhyul was born.  Yuri is closing the loops and is achieving final peace.  Happy to finally rush toward his sons Dojeol, Haemyeong and Yeojin who beat him to the finish line. 

In the meantime, Yeon promises Dojin to forget Muhyul and Dojin promises to take care of Yeon and her baby.

Muhyul ascends the throne and appoints his closest companions as ministers. Maro later finds out that Yeon is pregnant with Muhyul’s baby (seems like everyone knows but Muhyul) but decides not to tell his friend.