Review: "Shine or Go Crazy" Episodes 11 and 12

Synopsis

Wang Wook (Lim Ju Hwan) tells Shin Yool (Oh Yeon Seo) why he kept her gender a secret from Wang So (Jang Hyuk) and hugs her. He asks her to wait for him before he leaves to meet Wang So, who is curious about the person who trained him. Wang Wook lies and says he learned from a wandering warrior. Before he could leave, Wang So asks him why he kept the fact that Gaebong was a woman from him. Wang Wook is honest and says he wants her as his woman and wants his brother to back away. However, Wang So says she’s already his. He says it doesn’t matter whether she’s Gaebong or the assistant head; he won’t bother if she chooses Wook, but he tells him that it won’t happen. Wang Wook promises that Shin Yool will go to him and leaves.

The Queen finally learns how she’s been manipulated by Wang Sik Ryeom (Lee Deok Hwa) through an adviser – although she still wonders how he was able to shine due to his curse. Ji Mong (Kim Byung Ok) realizes she didn’t hear the full prophecy and tells her the remaining portion she missed and now she’s aware of her late husband’s intentions to make Wang So king. However, no one is aware of this plan. More so than that, she realizes her mistake in the way she’s been treating him. Now she gets why Wang So married Yeo Won, whose maid lies to Gil Bong by telling him the assistant head is seducing Wang So and he’ll lose his power if she succeeds.

Wang So visits the trading company with the new found knowledge that Gaebong is a woman. After playing with her by saying he wants to see the assistant head then Gaebong, he takes her to the bath house where he confronts her about lying. She tells him he lied as well. He thanks her for being a woman and kisses her. Baek Myo comes in and Wang So hides in the water, and after she leaves, he kisses Shin Yool again – underwater. They both agree to keep up the pretense that he thinks she’s a guy. At the gisaeng house, Geum San poisons Yang Gyu Dal (Heo Jeong Min) and asks him questions regarding his sister and Wang So and he tells everything including the marriage. Now Yeo Won is aware that Wang So married Shin Yool before, but he’s still unaware of who she is.

Wang Wook joins his uncle’s side, but only to become king and defeat Wang So, and Se Won agrees to see Wook as his leader. Meanwhile, Wang So goes to see “Gaebong” and they successfully sneak away to deliver medicine in the countryside. They enjoy a day out, acting as a couple, but are brought back to reality once they reach the capital again. To buy time from separating, she invites him in for tea, but is constantly interrupted, resulting in Wang So hiding.

The Queen goes to Wang So’s home to have tea with him. It’s the first time she’s ever served him and he becomes emotional. She apologizes for how she treated him and asks to at least be able to wipe his tears since she can’t be forgiven as a mother. Back at the trading company, Shin Yool receives a summons from Wang Sik Ryeom and she’s surprised to see Wang Wook there. Sik Ryeom lets it slip that she resembles Wook’s past love and that must be his reasons for wanting to protect her. After refusing to hand over her land and assets she owns, she asks why he didn’t just marry and protect the woman he loved. He answers that a prince’s first marriage has to be approved by the king; if not, then that means death for both. This strikes her as she goes home, not knowing Wang So is hiding in her room with rings she saw before.

As he’s hiding, he notices her crying as she pulls out her wedding dress/veil from five years ago. He realizes that she’s his one night bride and leaves quietly although he waits for her outside. He also figures out that she knows that rule about a prince’s first marriage.Without letting her know he knows, he hugs her and speaks of memories.

Since the Queen is on better terms with her son, she orders he spend the night with his wife and of course Yeo Won naturally agrees. She tells him to go along with it and thinks to herself that he’s falling into her trap. As the couple prepares for their night together, Shin Yool is having a celebration with her family.

Reaction

akinahana89: “Shine or Go Crazy” never fails to surprise me with its consistency. It’s usually at this point where a drama begins to falter, but I’ve yet to see even a hint of that happening here and I hope it won’t. The pacing is still amazing and I can’t believe what got unveiled this week. Can you? I mean, practically everything between Shin Yool and Wang So is out in the open now.

LavelyShai: I should say I’m surprised, but this drama has managed to put most secrets out there so this huge one (that everyone was waiting for) being revealed now isn’t shocking. What I did like was the manner in which they allowed it to be revealed, on Wang So’s end of course. I think it was such a beautiful scene even though I wasn’t really expecting it to happen at that point, I was yelling at him to go hug her lol. I’m glad they allowed it play out like that and even for her not to know that he’s aware of who she is now. Great job, drama. I applaud you.

akinahana89: Well, to be honest, I was really expecting them to drag everything out and play the “I know something you don’t know” game for a couple of episodes, but instead… we had Wang So confronting Shin Yool about her gender. Confronting! It was like a miracle! lol. And then that kiss! How unexpected! … Not that I’m complaining, although it must have been awkward for Jang Hyuk to have to bend down like that to get to her lips… but I digress. (And underwater kiss? Niiiice!) I was already content with that kind of progress, but then they threw another curveball with having Wang So connecting the dots once he secretly saw her bridal outfit. I’m so glad they made Wang So smart! Haha. And how about Yeo Won? She’s still… quite an enigma.

LavelyShai: The way they had him toy with her a bit before confronting her was hilarious, it was in his personality to do so. The underwater kiss *swooonnnn*. I was happy they had him connect the dots that quickly once he saw the veil and pattern. I would have screamed if he was still clueless even after seeing that. The one part that actually surprised me was when he had also figured out that she found out about the whole “death to both of you if the prince’s first marriage isn’t by royal decree” thing. I didn’t expect him to figure out that’s why she was so sad and tried to throw the dress away, but I am also happy he managed to stop her without explicitly telling her he knows. Gah! That scene was so heartbreaking. Excuse me (*sobs*). Oh Yeo Won…she’s so scary, but I like her! She’s very smart and cunning, is that the right word? Anyways, I think I was right about where her heart was at. She definitely has/had feelings for Se Won.

akinahana89: Yes, definitely. I’m glad we finally got some more insight into her history. She did seem like a pretty warm-hearted girl before when she was in love with Se Won. I can’t figure out if she’s trying to “trap” Wang So now because her feelings have shifted towards him, if she’s really willing to do everything to become Queen, or if it’s mere jealousy and anger that her husband is falling for another woman – a woman he’s risking the death penalty for. At least, from the limited knowledge Yeo Won has.

LavelyShai: I think it was very clever to show that scene of her smiling happily to her present day, there really is a major difference. I think she may feel something towards Wang So, but nothing close to what she feels for Se Won. Oh! I just randomly had a theory come to mind: Yeo Won wants to be Queen, but we really are not sure why she even wants it that bad. My feeling is that she wants the throne to a similar reason why Wang Wook wants it: Love. We were given a huge clue when her father said he dismissed Se Won six years ago (around the time the first king was poisoned). This is also around the time Yeo Won declared that she wanted the throne or to make her brother king. What if her cold demeanor is due to her father attempting to separate her from Se Won? If she wants to get in power so bad, it may be so she could keep him close. I’m still working out the kinks in this one, but it made sense in my head.

akinahana89: Actually… that’s a pretty good theory! I hadn’t even thought of that. The only theory I had came up with for this week is a belated understanding of Wang So’s fate. lol. Since he’s fated to either shine or go crazy then perhaps that means if Yeo Won stays by his side, he’ll definitely go crazy because of her cunning ways and hunger for power (and her love for Se Won now, apparently). On the other hand, if Shin Yool is the one by his side, then he’ll shine. We saw how mesmerized he was when Shin Yool gave out the free medicine to the physicians. His fate can swing either way because both were born from the same energy. The astrologist pushed him towards Yeo Won, but Wang So found Shin Yool on his own. It’s like… the smallest shift can completely change the rest of his life around. Unlike the others who had pretty solid fates, Wang So’s was flexible because he has two options. It just depends on which one he’ll choose to take. I’m rambling… but it was really thought provoking for me as I slowly began to understand him more and more.

LavelyShai: I was going to mention the visit to deliver the medicine. That really showed which one will be his light. Shin Yool’s company allows him to see how the people in the kingdom are doing first hand (they didn’t know who he was) while being with Yeo Won shows him nothing but greed – as you said. It really will be up to him to decide which path to take, although I am thinking he will need both, albeit at different stages. He needs Yeo Won to ascend to the throne, but he will need Shin Yool once he’s there. The Queen Mother forcing him to stay the night with Yeo Won may derail his light path though.

akinahana89: Well, if Yeo Won spills his first marriage secret, I think that’ll be the least of his concerns. I can definitely see her using that as blackmail to get Wang So to do what she wants. The Queen’s 180 degree turn around is a bit unsettling and Wang So doesn’t even have a clue on how to approach that kind of a situation. Still, I think she’ll be useful in the future, especially since she’s set on playing Wang Sik Ryeom.

LavelyShai: If Yeo Won attempts to blackmail Wang So, she’s also letting him know how much she’s aware of, thus exposing herself because he’d begin to question her. If he acts as if he’s surprised at her news, but I can’t see it working in her favor – unless she gets pregnant. The Queen’s change in attitude was surprising, but I am glad she’s not clueless anymore. I actually cried when she had tea with Wang So. He didn’t know how to act and you could see the guilt on her face, she wants to be a mother to him now. You are right, she will be useful in the future now that she knows what Wang Sik Ryeom is about. Can we talk about Wang Wook joining his side? I don’t think he’s cut out for this stuff. He seems too emotionally unstable.

akinahana89: No, I don’t think Yeo Won will reveal that card quite so easily. She’ll wait for the perfect moment and opportunity to use it since it’s the best card she has on him right now. I can’t even imagine her pregnant. It’s a pretty terrifying thought. lol. I wonder if Wang So will really bed her… or if there’s a way he can get out of it for a while longer. That’s like a cliffhanger wannabe, our ending for this week. As for Wang Wook, he’s going to fail. Miserably. He tries to act all tough guy, but he’s rather weak and that stems from what you’ve already said: emotional instability. He’s also not clever enough to take on Wang Sik Ryeom. Yeo Won could probably do it though. Now that Se Won is being pulled in all directions, I wonder what he’ll decide to do. Remain faithful to Yeo Won? Continue working with Wang Sik Ryeom? Or follow psycho Wang Wook’s leadership?

LavelyShai: Wang Wook is merely a pawn for his uncle to play with; he’s aware that Wookie isn’t cut out for this. He was going to make him another puppet king and Wookie isn’t at all aware of this. He’s just not cut out for revenge and all that, and he only wants to be King to beat out Wang So and to get Shin Yool. Those are his reasons. If he’s the king, then he can order her to come to him. That’s pretty low since he has to use dirty tricks to get her, even then she won’t love him. He’ll end up all alone with no one to blame but himself. Se Won is another enigma; you’re not really sure whose side he’s on since he’s playing a triple agent and giving info to everyone he’s “under.” I have a strange feeling he’s in it all for himself, he’ll surprise us all at some point. Never trust the quiet ones.

akinahana89: Haha! Se Won does look like the type to give you the surprise of a lifetime… What’s sad about Wang Wook though is that you would think, with his past, that he would give Shin Yool the freedom to choose her life and the man she wants to spend her life with. Instead, he’s trying to do the exact same thing his father did. If he really ever gets a chance to force her into marriage with him, it’ll definitely be history repeating itself. Smells like a hypocrite if you ask me. I’m glad that Shin Yool knows about Dan Young now. I think she’ll be more cautious of Wang Wook after their last meeting, which can only be beneficial for her. I loved how she stood her ground against him!

LavelyShai: Yes! You would think that given his history, Wang Wook would never want to force someone into a marriage they didn’t want, yet here he is trying to force Shin Yool to come to him even though he knows where her heart lies. I mean we are only guessing his intentions, but I think it’s pretty clear since she was his motivation for the prince’s competition and used that to pretty much confess to her. I am also glad Shin Yool was made aware of his past love; now she knows why he’s been so nice to her. Wang Wook shouldn’t use that as a reason to get her, as heartbreaking as it was to see what happened to her, he should know better. He’ll come to his senses later on. He won’t be able to stop his uncle from trying to ruin her. We both know Wang Sik Ryeom didn’t really give him all authority over the trades and movement to the west.

akinahana89: Of course not! The only fool around here is Wang Wook. The poor guy. Okay… not really. Someone I do feel bad for? Yang Gyu Dal. For once, it really wasn’t his fault that he spilled Shin Yool’s secret. He’s actually been pretty smart recently about keeping his mouth shut, but even the strongest person wouldn’t have been able to fight off that drug. When he finds out what happened, the guilt is going to crush him and I can already see Baek Myo and Kang Myung giving him a hard time over it. Especially Baek Myo!

LavelyShai: Poor Gyu Dal, he can never catch a break. He already said it feels like he spilled it even though he doesn’t remember doing so. I kinda hope he doesn’t find out what happened because he has a thing for feeling extremely guilty and beating himself up over it. Remember when he discovered So So was Prince Wang So? He was upset he talked about the prince to the prince himself. Baek Myo would really let him have if she finds out, but did we see her cry and feel bad? Of course she’d feel upset learning Shin Yool’s marriage to Wang So would result in death, but I think she genuinely felt bad for him too.

akinahana89: If you think about it… Baek Myo is partly responsible for their illegal first marriage. She took part in kidnapping him, after all, so I don’t know if her sorrow is for Wang So, himself, or just for the general situation. She feels for Shin Yool only because she knows how much Wang So means to her, but Baek Myo has never once approved of Wang So. Talk about a personality similar to the Queen… good grief.

LavelyShai: Maybe her sorry is just for the situation itself, since she did have a hand in the marriage. She and the Queen have a change of heart once they fully understand the situation and see their original way of thinking was wrong or didn’t benefit everyone. Although I still hope she’d take off them Wang Wook blinders.

akinahana89: All in due time, my friend… all in due time. She’ll be tossing them away as fast as she possibly can once she finds out what a creep he actually is. I hope Kang Myung will tell her, “I told you so!” Haha. Overall, we had yet another week of excellent episodes where the pacing didn’t even stumble, much less falter. We had secrets revealed, more conspiracies, change of hearts, and finally some good ol’ romance. Let’s see what’s in store for us next week! Whatever happens, I know we’ll be in for a great ride!

What an exciting week this was, what do you guys think Yeo Won’s next scheme will be? The closest answer may be featured in next week’s recap!

[tv]Catch episode 11 of Shine or Go Crazy on SoompiTV![/tv]

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