Amidst the downpour of revelations in the last few episodes of Our Blooming Youth the series still seems to enjoy dropping more mysteries one after another.
Week 9 of Our Blooming Youth unravels all hidden identities as the narrative prepares for the ultimate outwitting game.
Going full circle, Byeokcheon’s Uprising is sealed as the starting point of an elaborate plan to exact revenge on the royal family.
abbyinhallyuland watched Our Blooming Youth on Prime Video
Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 | 04| 05 & 06| 07 & 08 | 09 & 10 | 11 & 12 | 13 & 14 | 15 & 16 | 17 & 18 | 19 | Finale + Series Review |
Our Blooming Youth Episodes 17 and 18 Highlights
A surprising twist of two Tae-gangs erupted last week in Our Blooming Youth. This explains why he can be in two places at the same time.
Princess Hayeon’s trust in the queen, her second mother puts her in a looming danger as she tries to be a good sister to Prince Myung-ahn.
“Does Tae-gang know that he has a twin?”
Gathered at Manyeondang, Lee Hwan and Jae-yi find Myung-jin’s deduction highly possible considering the recent events that unfolded.
Through Jae-yi’s analysis of how the peony flowers function like opium that aids in mind control, they arrive at the same conclusion that happened to Yeong and the shaman.
Meanwhile, Princess Hayeon brings Prince Myung-ahn to Court Lady Kwon’s recommended healer who is also Monk Mujin.
Exactly performing the mind control Lee Hwan’s team was just talking about, Monk Mujin conditioned Prince Myung Ahn to forget giving the peaches that killed his brother.
Excusing herself, Court Lady Kwon goes to the restroom and finds Tae-gang’s twin. Unknown to them, Sung-on has been tailing the entourage per Princess Hayeon’s request.
Tae-gang’s twin escapes the scene as Court Lady Kwon pretends to be hurt by him. Sung-on meets Monk Mujin who blabs about being the person who saw Byeokcheon’s disheartening bloodshed initiated by greedy people.
He also aimed Sung-on’s sword at his body and kills himself inevitably leaving cryptic words that the Lee family will vanish and a Song will emerge to give a better world.
As soon as Sung-on settles Lee Hwan’s siblings, he went to see him and finds Tae-gang who just reported about fixing Jae-yi’s new place. Sensing his friend also had an encounter with Tae-gang’s twin, Lee Hwan asked the latter to leave and loops Sung-on to their recent discoveries.
“Crown Prince, why couldn’t have I been your birth mother? I wish you were my real son. How much have you figured out? Since you are smart, in no time you would realize it all.”
At the same time, Court Lady Kwon informs the queen that Sung-on saw Tae-san, who is really Tae-gang’s twin. She also promises to take the fall if ever they will need it.
The queen arrives and picks up on the conversation between Princess Hayeon and Lee Hwan if the princess saw an incense burner with flower petals.
Later, Jae-yi remembers Ga-ram’s note and learns that Lee Hwan gave her a task for their preparation to live their old life. Ga-ram also warns her about the deputy officer from Gaeseong that is currently in Hanyang.
Simultaneously, Ga-ram who is sewing clothes tries to remember the events of that unfortunate day since Jae-yi is yet to retrieve her memories. She remembers Jae-yi’s father drawing something that is full of red intersecting lines.
One by one the conspiracy of the fake cursed letter unfolds with the Queen, Court Lady Kwon and Tae-san as the main players. They’ve been executing what was written on the cursed letter to mess up Lee Hwan’s thoughts.
Mulling over the situation, the queen earnestly thought it would have been nice if Lee Hwan is her real son. She also welcomes Sung-on whom she summoned to meet with the intention of fulfilling one of the things written in the cursed letter.
Intentionally, she sows doubts in Sung-on’s mind by telling a rumor about Sun-dol being Jae-yi. If that is true, his best friend could have not let him out of that news especially since he is betrothed to Jae-yi.
Tae-san who was poking at Jae-yi’s things finds the couple’s bracelet and faintly touches the one with a secret compartment. When he left the room, he sees Tae-gang. Baffled at his appearance, his brother tells him they will be able to go back to their hometown soon.
Just then, Jae-yi arrives and sees the two of them together. Chasing after Tae-san, he was stopped by Tae-gang and strangles her. Lee Hwan arrives in time to stop Tae-gang.
“I will stand guard for you tonight so you may go ahead and sleep.”
Conveying his reason why he did not confess to being born in Byeokcheon, Tae-gang can’t give any details about the uprising. He is also not aware that his brother survived.
Thinking it is best to hide his roots as he is close to the crown prince, he vows to give his life to protect Lee Hwan.
Surprised to see Lee Hwan in his private library, Jae-yi asks if he was there thinking she might still be flustered about the events earlier. But he only gives him an unfathomable gaze.
The tavern couple and Tae-san are informed by Court Lady Kwon to proceed as planned in going home after paying respect to Monk Mujin.
While the palace celebrates the new crown princess, Lee Hwan struggles to give the key to Jae-yi’s new place.
“Thank you for being alive. I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you.”
Bringing up the drawing she saw Master Min did, Lee Hwan and Jae-yi deduce it to be a secret letter.
They look for Master Min’s trusted deputy officer who saw Ga-ram last time and confirm Jae-yi’s father left a letter for Left Minister Han.
Sung-on who saw Jae-yi carrying water to the library confronts his knowledge of her true identity. While apologizing for not recognizing her, Lee Hwan also listens to their conversation.
With her secret unearthed, Jae-yi refuses to take the hand that Sung-on offered. She also tells him that she cannot marry him. However, he insists on the binding legality of their marriage since letters were already exchanged between their families.
Sung-on finds Lee Hwan standing outside and they speak about the promise that the latter him. That he will return Jae-yi once she has cleared her name as the murderer of her family.
However, Lee Hwan insists that Jae-yi is not an object to which Sung-on counters that she should know how to follow law and order.
Learning about Prince Myung-ahn’s crazy outburst of how he gave peaches to Prince Uihyeon, Jae-yi asserted that they should be open to theories and narrow down the truths based on it.
Affirming Jae-yi’s story with Princess Hayeon, Lee Hwan went to Minister Han to ask for his help in decoding the letter his friend left him. The letter reveals the secret of Byeokcheon Uprising and a name he is familiar with.
Simultaneously, Jae-yi who realized her dagger went missing goes to meet Lee Hwan. Finding the cursed letter, she fathomed the crown princess is in danger. Rushing to her chamber, she finds the crown princess lifeless with her dagger.
Just as she picked up her dagger, the crown princess’ servants arrive at another crime scene that would cause another trouble for Jae-yi.
Our Blooming Youth Episodes 17 and 18 Musings
What a cliffhanger in this week’s episodes of Our Blooming Youth!
With all the puzzles to solve, the series has also in a way subdued the expectations viewers have for a proper romance between Lee Hwan and Jae-yi.
While it is doable, there are just a handful of concerns to be tackled to entertain this thought.
The Queen is obviously brewing something dangerous and probably poisonous yet again with the help of her pet fish. Her motivation and end game took a long route.
Finally, we realized she is intending to make her son a future Joseon king inspired by the events and lives lost in Byeokcheon Uprising.
Unfortunately, we don’t know if she was unaware that Lord Cho went against what the King would have wanted and remorselessly slaughtered the people of Byeokcheon.
If so, her blinded revenge could not be salvaged if she won’t make the rightful payback to obliterate Lord Cho and his minions.
Once again, Jae-yi enters a predicament similar to what has put her into hiding. To make her situation worse, Lord Cho has not even made his move.
Although she finds another ally in Sung-on, we don’t know if he would be willing to help.
Can Lee Hwan protect her? Can they pull off the perfect plan to round up the Queen and her minions?
Witness how Lee Hwan and Jae-yi uncover the secrets and fight against their enemies in Our Blooming Youth every Monday and Tuesday on tvN.
Photos: tvN Drama
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