5.12 - Episode 12 of Mr. Queen

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 12 of Mr. Queen, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Shin Hye-sun as Kim So-yong, Kim Jyung-hun as King Cheoljong, Seol In-ah as Jo Hwa-jin, Na In-woo as Kim Byeong-in, and Choi Jin-hyuk as Jang Bong-hwan. We discuss:The songs we feature during the recap: Toy Soldier by Kim Deuk-so and The Great Recipe by sEODo.How this episode started with danger, then both the king and queen are safe, then it gets funny, then the king is beaten by Kim Jwa-geun, then it ends on a cliffhanger, and what a cliffhanger it was!How Jang Bong-hwan saved the banquet with his inventive cooking and his experience that cooking and food are political in a place like the palace.During the banquet, for the first time ever, the king and queen are on the same page, working together to save the banquet.How the king beautifully interprets the queen’s messages about each dish in the meal.Court Lady Choi’s words that there are things that are constant in the palace: the secret feud between women, the war of governmental powers, and assassination by poisonThe amazing meal the queen made during the banquet, how clever it all was, and how meaningful every element was.How Kim Jwa-geun beats the king down by exposing the 7 king’s guards who had false papers and ordering them beheaded, taking jurisdiction over the men away from Prince Yeonpyeong and the king.Why the episode is called Dancing Upon a Knife: because the king and queen are caught in a dangerous and delicate place and they have to act very carefully.The K Drama elements in this episode, including a piggyback ride that we almost missed (the royal chef gives Court Lady Choi a piggyback ride when she gets ill from the poisoned water).The crazy cliffhanger of an ending and the many questions left unanswered, like: Who was behind the bombing? How badly is the king hurt? What about the ledger that the Jo family was supposed to reveal during the banquet?Our favorite Korean dishes now that the season is changing and it’s turning colder. Sung Hee likes Seolleongtang while Joanna loves sundubu jjigae.The shows we’re watching now: Sung Hee is obsessed with A Time Called You while Joanna has just started watching Destined With You.ReferencesThe Great Recipe by sEODo with lyricsBeef Seolleongtang recipeLighthouse Tofu restaurant in Annandale, VA