5 Times Ahn Eun Jin And Lee Hak Joo Faced The Reality of War In Episodes 3-4 Of "My Dearest"

“My Dearest” is shaping up to be the sort of show that pulls out your heartstrings. It’s poignant, it’s heartfelt, and it’s brutally realistic. It’s the sageuk of the summer. With King Injo (Kim Jong Tae) all but kidnapped, the call has gone out for every able-bodied man to join the fight to save him. Most of the young men see this as an invitation to glory. But as Yoo Gil Chae (Ahn Eun Jin) and Nam Yeon Joon (Lee Hak Joo) are about to find out, this has never been the truth.

Here are five times when they faced the reality of war in the latest episodes:

Warning: spoilers for episodes 3-4 below.

1. When Lee Jang Hyun reminds them of the king’s true nature

King Injo (as depicted here) isn’t a bad king, but, like most kings, he is a selfish one. At the assembly where the young men of the village passionately volunteer for the army, starting with Yeon Joon, Lee Jang Hyun (Namgoong Min) takes the opposite path. He freely admits that he has no intention of fighting and fully intends to flee. Gil Chae scoffs at his cowardice, but Jang Hyun gives his reason to the disapproving crowd. The Greater Jin army caught King Injo because he tried to flee and didn’t make it to his final destination. So, now he’s at a fortress in between the palace and where he wanted to go, and the Greater Jin army have him surrounded. Why should his people have to give their lives to save a king who tried to run at the first sign of trouble?

Yeon Joon’s argument is nothing but blind patriotism, and the scholars ready themselves to leave anyway. Gil Chae has seen so little of life and pain that she thinks they’ll be fine. It’s only when Jang Hyun points out that these men, who have never lifted anything more than a pen their own lives, are about to be slaughtered that she starts to panic.

2. When Gil Chae learns of a woman’s value during war

Gil Chae is heartbroken when Yeon Joon proposes to Kyung Eun Ae (Lee Da In). They plan to wed prior to him leaving for war, and she, in her ridiculously petty way, plots to ruin the wedding. The only way to understand Gil Chae’s actions here (it’s impossible to sympathize) is to see that she really does have the brain of a 12-year-old here. She’s not young, but she has seen nothing. She has always had money, beauty, and men swooning over her, and in those times, that was all a woman needed to thrive. But war changes everything. Gil Chae flirts with Gong Soon Yak (Park Jong Wook) and encourages him to propose to her in order to make Yeon Joon jealous. But her plan backfires when Yeon Joon doesn’t seem to care. Now she’s stuck facing a marriage she doesn’t want. Jang Hyun sees through all her machinations and sighs, literally wondering why he likes her.

But he still goes to the town council. He trades sturdy armor, horses, and weapons for a promise: no man in town gets married before leaving for war. He makes a brilliant, beautiful point. A man’s life ends in battle, but a woman’s life socially and economically ends with the death of her husband. Remarriage was so highly frowned upon in Joseon that it may as well be a death sentence.

Yeon Joon and Kyung Ae’s marriage is averted (though Gil Chae witnesses them kissing and nearly tears out her hair), and Gil Chae doesn’t have to marry Soon Yak. Instead, she asks him to promise her to take care of Yeon Joon in battle because he’s stronger (I have a bad feeling about this). But she grows more and more frightened as the town’s elderly ladies lecture on how a woman should just take her life if they are caught and assaulted by the enemy. And when Jang Hyun gifts her with a dagger (which Ryang Eum (Kim Yoon Woo) actually gifted him) to use on the enemy, she grows even more fearful.

3. When Yeon Joon loses almost everyone in his first battle

Yeon Joon and the scholars join the battlefield proud and strong. It ends up being a massacre. True to Soon Yak’s word, he protects Yeon Joon time after time and takes down a ton of the enemy—until he’s taken down as well. As he dies, he reveals to Yeon Joon that he knows Gil Chae was using him to make Yeon Joon jealous, but it resulted in him getting a shot with her and that made it all okay. This is heartbreaking. Only three men from their village, Yeon Joon included, are left standing. Despite the others wanting to return home, Yeon Joon forges on looking furious. We don’t see what comes next, but it feels like he’s about to change drastically.

4. When war comes to Gil Chae’s village

Gil Chae genuinely doesn’t seem to know her own heart. Eun Ae notes that Jang Hyun was the first person Gil Chae looked at when the announcement that war had broken out hit the village. She tells Jang Hyun that everyone has the habit of turning to the person they believe most reliable when a crisis occurs. It’s an unconscious thing, to seek comfort and strength. And Gil Chae turned to him.

Jang Hyun doesn’t believe it, especially when he asks Ryang Eum, and Ryang Eum lies that she turned to Yeon Joon. MBC’s character description of Ryang Eum lists him as being gay and in love with Jang Hyun (YES MBC! I love to see inclusive stories!). Perhaps he’s the white-haired man being interrogated by Shin Yi Rib (Ha Kyung) 26 years later?

Eun Ae seems to know Gil Chae very well, so it’s very likely that she knows how Gil Chae has been trying to manipulate Yeon Joon into marrying her. But she doesn’t seem to hold a grudge. The girl seems very sweet and strong. And Gil Chae has that same strength in her. She may not know that she cares for Jang Hyun, but when she sees his smoke signal coming from the mountain, she remembers his warning: it means that the enemy is approaching their village. She informs the town council, and they pack up fast and flee. But they aren’t fast enough.

The last boat fleeing the village is attacked, killing Eun Ae’s family. There aren’t any other boats, leaving Eun Ae, Gil Chae, and their maids (one of whom is pregnant) on the run. Even worse, Mongolian fighters have joined the Greater Jin army purely so they can assault women and steal valuables. And those same men are tracking Gil Chae and the other women.

5. When Gil Chae kills someone for the first time

The four women walk and hide and eat what little they have, but it isn’t enough. They grow weary, especially when the maid gives birth and can’t walk. But Gil Chae reveals a hidden steel that surprises everyone. She helps deliver the baby. She loots furs from a dead enemy soldier so that the baby and their other women are kept warm. She even carries the maid on her back. In comparison, sweet and kind Eun Ae lags behind. And she’s caught by an enemy soldier. Then and there, the unique horrors of war that predominantly women face are made clear when the soldier prepares to assault her. Until Gil Chae kills him.

In shock, the two women wash the blood off their hands. Eun Ae breaks down, pleading with Gil Chae not to tell anyone about what happened. The soldier didn’t get to assault her, but anyone hearing that won’t believe her. Gil Chae hugs her tight and vows that she’ll never tell anyone and that nothing happened to them today. It’s a powerful moment.

So, when a whole band of enemy soldiers finds them and prepares to do the same thing, Gil Chae is sure they’re done for. But Jang Hyun appears, having been tracking the enemy after they slew the village elder he cared for. Something about watching him come toward her prompts Gil Chae to realize her feelings, and this is even before he kills all the soldiers—which is why, when an enemy near hits him, she slips up and screams at him to avoid it and calls him “my dear.” And Jang Hyun dispatches the enemy, kneels before her, and breaks into this beautiful smile.

This is such a well-written show, weaving in parts on the macro and micro-level, both historical and fictional, to create this beautifully realized world. There were so many great beats in this week’s episodes that narrowing them down to five was a task. Many people have noticed how this seems to be a retelling of “Gone with the Wind” in some ways, and the comparison is definitely there. But there are enough differences for this to feel fresh. The actors, cinematography, and plot—everything is just on point! The next episodes show Gil Chae realizing that she’s in love with Jang Hyun and not knowing how to show it, while he’s just happy to tease her over it. No one knows what war will bring, so here’s hoping the two will make the most of this time together before they’re inevitably pulled apart!

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What did you think of last week’s episodes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Shalini_A is a long time Asian-drama addict. When not watching dramas, she fangirls over Ji Sung, and spins thrillers set in increasingly fantastic worlds. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and feel free to ask her anything!

Currently Watching:  “Longing for You,” “My Dearest,” “Not Others,” and “My Lovely Liar.”
Looking Forward to: “Gyeongseong Creature,” “Ask The Stars,” “The Girl Downstairs,” “The Worst Evil,” “Queen of Tears,” “Vigilante,” “Daily Dose of Sunshine,” and Ji Sung’s next drama.