24 Comments to “Captivating the King (2024) Episode 12”

1. It’ finally good to see a king so smart and not controlled by his court minister.

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2. I like it , the captivating is going well. The king is so captivated so I guess he will check what awaits him in that room. For sure FL is torn between her love and her mission. I guess I am the only one who doesn’t care about the acting. But there are so many acting specialist here. I can’t distinguish good or bad acting even if it hits me in the head.

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3. This drama will go down in my memory as the drama that should remind writers to put more effort into female characters. ESPECIALLY THE FEMALE LEAD.

   They basically wrote a female character to go around in disguise and just be an annoying mosquito in the ML’s story… But whats worse is that the story is centered on the FL’s perspective. She is the main character even over the ML. Why is the main character written simply to be a catalyst in her love interests story? Just make the ML the main character then!

   The beginning was hopeful. It depicted a sheltered and naive but smart girl who fell for a prince she admired but got betrayed and was made to be a slave. You can no longer write someone who experienced that as if they are still naive if they are supposed to be smart!

   PUT EFFORT INTO WRITING WOMEN!

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4. Now she knows of the enmity between the king and his uncle… Why would she believe anything the king says to his uncle atp? She knows the king doesn’t like his uncle! WAYYYYY back in episode 2 or 3 she saw the King (prince at the time) threaten to kill his uncle. Why would someone so smart to make this great scheme of making the grand price the crown prince IN THE SAME EPISODE think the king was being honest with his uncle?! Writer-nim, there were other ways to keep the same overarching plot but make it more believable.

   WRITER-NIM PLEASEEEE

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5. I have not really liked this series since episode 8. This plot is destroying my romantic high…UGH!! SMH. But I think the worst part of the episode is when the FL hears the king tell the grand uncle what he needs to hear in order to get the job done and she takes it literally!!!! (FL) If you are disgusted about what you heard ask the king about it?? You already told him that your love does not go against your need for the right thing to be done. Why agree to assassinate him without finding out why he said what he said ???? Either you guys trust one another or you don’t! The plot is making her to naive/stupid and you can not be a great badku player with that type of mindset??? Where is the thinking 10 moves ahead/ the pre-planning and broadmindedness????? The story writer’s are making the FL character look really bad. Not the acting… it is the story. The FL is just doing her job…unfortunately very well 😊. On the other hand the king is so amazing. One of the every best acting jobs with a terrible script I have seen in a very long time.

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6. lady one eye boy even changes his eye patch to match his outfit…cant stand this minor character. they are making it hard to sympathize with mungwoo, and the story falls apart. how many wish ML would abandon her?

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7. I think everyone is doing a great job in this show but one thing I can’t get my head wrapped around–that is that she’s supposed to be the best player, so formidable that no one gets to win against her; however, she never considered that the king is putting a facade to protect his nephew/those he cares about?

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8. The words of the courtesan will come back to haunt her.

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9. At this point, I would like to start a thread of acting ladies you feel would better suit the role of FL in this show. Comment under here……..

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10. Hands down there were three stand out scenes of this episode – two of them made my eyes well up with tears and the third made me cheer hard for the King (and the awesome acting of Cho Jung Seok).

    1) The scene between the Queen and her father (the Great Lord) was so emotonal and heart breaking. Both the actors knocked it out of the park. You could feel the utter helplessness of the father as he watched hs daughter slowly succumb and despite her own dire mortal straits you could feel the concern of the Queen for the little Grand Prince’s (whom she had come to love as her own son) future and his safety

    2)The scene between the King and the Queen where he didin’t let hte Queen blame herself and instead accepted full responsibility for being a terrible husband to her. Such emotion and tenderness in the scene – I wish we had gotten more scenes & interactions between them.

    3) Scene between Principal Director(king’s uncle) and the King – the King is playing 3d chess while the Principal Director is just a pawn in the King’s game and he knows nothing. How easily the King maniulated his uncle into thnking that the Grand Prince would be eliminated in hte future. The King also delivered a veiled warning that he would shed the blood of his own kin in pursuit of his goals – he meant his own uncle, but the old dodger thought the King was speaking of hte Grand Prince.

    Final points:

    The King’s uncle , the Principal Director, was outmanoeuvered and humiliated and insulted at every turn in this episode – so gratifying to see it all unfold.

    The poison storyline is finally moving forward. Have a feeling that the King’s mother and his uncle are the ones behind the poisoning of the previous King and Court Lady Dong is an accomplice to their plot.

    Hope Hee Soo’s father comes back and puts her dumbass self in place and I hope Myung Ha gets to eat crow – going on about his father’s death when he was witness to how twisted and dangerous his father really was. Can’t stand him and his asanctimonious ass.

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11. We are already on episode 12, but it doesn’t feel like it. I feel that we haven’t gotten any actual progress. I mean, things were progressing, but everything still seems so…..vague. And I’m feeling certain that Hee-soo has seriously no solid plan. The only so-called plan she had was to dethrone Lee In, let Chu kill him, and make the now crown prince the king. But it doesn’t make sense. If she’s a skilled baduk player, she should’ve been able to map everything. Or at least something?

    As much as I like Shin Sekyung, I’m also getting tired of the character Hee-soo. The teary-eyed acting is one thing. But what I’m more frustrated about, is how her character was written, and that’s on the writers, maybe even the director. Because even her lines are losing substance now. I honestly like the version of Hee-soo before everything went south and Lee In became the king. It’s like without her father, she has lost her way and is making the wrong choices. Perhaps this is to show that just because one is skilled in baduk, it doesn’t mean they are smart in life.

    The saddest part of this episode, and also the highlight for me, was the queen, her father, and the prince. The queen truly cared for that poor boy, her father truly cared for her, and that poor boy truly cared for the queen. The fate of the queen was heart-shattering. I pity her and the young prince.

    I hope Hee-soo learns the truth soon, that it was Kim Myung-ha who gave that fake testimony. Lee In is partially to blame for what happened to Hee-soo and Hongjang, but ultimately it was Kim Myung-ha’s father who tried to take down Lee In first, and the former king’s death had nothing to do with Lee In. But like Lee In said, everyone thinks he poisoned the former king, so it’s no surprise that Hee-soo believed it too. But it’s about time the truth is revealed to Hee-soo already. Their plan to assassinate Lee In is getting stupider by the episode.

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12. I was reallllllly really excited for this drama, mainly becuz it has been so long since ML lead been in a drama and I missed him.But it is unfortunate that i am losing my interest. I wanted to give FL the benefit of the doubt but yet again she disappointed me with her acting, or may be she is bad at picking dramas IDK she always ends up meh for me. I don’t see the chemistry. ML is carrying the drama on his back. I hope things get better from now on, cuz it is almost there.

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13. Can we just all agree that we’ve now been captivated by the king?

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14. didn’t quite understand this scene of her remembering this sickening moment….

    did she remember it cz the current King didn’t punish her for dropping the medicine and he isn’t as cruel as the former one…or did she remember this cz she’s the one who poisoned him?? cz this is for sure that if she didn’t do it herself than she surely knows who poisoned the late king…

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15. 😂 exactly which king that has no other heir will appoint a crown prince (with no one forcing him) just so he can expel and kill him?? that is such a bald faced lie that only the dumb principal director and the silly fl will believe lool

    ?? did kim junior forget why his father was killed? history really is written by those who survive. finally this one eyed dude is getting his chance we can all rest 🙄. aw her telling him not to go inside means she loves him, how sweet 😑

    i’m very happy her majesty got to hear the gp call her mum before she left bc she was truly a mother to him and he felt the same way.

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16. If they kill the King the Crown Prince will die too. Idiots…complot is not for everyone.

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17. it was the Great Lord (Queen’s father) who convinced Min ji hwan to appoint the Grand Prince as Crown Prince…

    but what I dun understand is, that ok, Myung ha is one of the ministers of Royal court and him and King has bad blood between each other so he’s plotting and scheming, but y is no one asking questions about the FL’s interference in these matters??? I mean she’s just a gidaereyong, the only duty of hers is to play with the king, y is everyone so “in peace” with her involving in the political matters??? its the most believable thing for them that she/he sitting there in front of a minister and talking about such grave matter, the appointment of a CP… and y is no one asking that y Myung ha is with her/him??? how and when did those two got so close to have similar thoughts on such matters???

    including the King, every time something happens, someone makes a request, its as if he has some magical powers that he automatically knows that its obviously the FL who would’ve suggested so and so….and it’s not even surprising for him….

    and it can only make sense to me, if they’ll show that the King had his men keep an eye on her every move and knew about her intentions and her “non existing plans” and was just playing along….cz this is just proving to be extremely logic defying and making the King some fortune teller…..

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18. “To wish for life when you love them and death when you hate them.
    Wishing them to live, while wishing them to die.That paradox is what is
    means to be captivated.”

    HS has such a distorted perception about the King: arrogant and reckless. She is not the only one who can read the King’s hear, he too can read hers….
    When is she going to drop that male outfit and start wearing hanboks…..

    I don’t think the King meant what he said to his uncle about the GP/CP, but she took it as a face value….

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19. Finally some actual good acting/ plot development in this episode and…….. dare I say it, mainly because FL was missing in most of it. The scene between the queen and her father and then later between her and the new crown prince had me in tears. It’s a testament to these actors to bring the emotions out of their audience.
    The ML of course has been great throughout , as has the prince but it was a treat to see the queen’s father be human and genuinely care for his daughter more than her status as queen. I have seen the veteran actor in other shows and these scenes will always remain a favourite of his with me, he brought the “eye monsoon” ya’ll!!

    The court intrigue and double crossing/ triple crossing of the ministers/ court officials seems to have heated up with the PD losing his grip on affairs as seen by most of the ministers agreeing to the appointment of the crown prince (and won’t that burn his beard!!). That move of proposing marriage of the crown prince to the girl in minister of war’s family was sheer twisted genius.

    One thing I have liked about this court from the beginning is that there seem to be some genuine ministers who speak for the people and really want the best for them. It seems they are finally finding their voice even if it means losing favour with the PD. Finally saw the Baduk game as played out in court.

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20. so sick of her constant teary eyes…

    and this moron’s constant whining…Go die, go go go to your father, go….

    they’re fit for each other, two extremely incompetent and idiot beings….

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21. sorry I can’t and won’t consider his “concern” for the Queen for just 2 scenes after 11 episodes…. for gud 11 episodes he didn’t turn his face and feet towards her quarters and suddenly when he got to know that finally she doesn’t have much time left, he decided to bestow her with his presence….🙄🙄🙄

    been feeling so sad and bad for the Queen, but felt extremely bad for the poor boy, he called someone “Mother” after so long, and she died right then and there….🥺🥺😭😭

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22. She is really good with deer in headlight look but sadly this script sucks not sure I can watch any more she puts everyone in danger with lame plans

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23. She really sucks at this whole spy thing or whatever. She got clocked on DAY ONE for planning to kill him and now she’s somehow boohooing and shocked that he figures there’s an assassin hiding? She continuously plans things behind his back and she thinks he doesn’t know what she’s up to at this point?? And I mean, he mostly agrees with the outcome of her schemes but she does in a way that endangers everyone around her. Maybe it’s because she’s not a court official, but it’s sad for someone so intelligent and skilled at a strategy game to be blind to the strategy game the king is playing with the principal director.

    RIP to our queen 😢. I’m glad the crown prince gets to mourn her as his mother though.

    Also, I must have missed something but what the hell was that with Senior Court Lady Dong and the late king’s bloody finger??? Gave me the ick 😖

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24. Sick of her teary eyes. ..always tearing up to cry due to the inconsistency of her feelings and emotions, as well as the uncertainty of her decisions. She has pretty much put so many at risk. ..and its getting annoying becos FL should at least have a steady plan and communicate. She could have asked the King why he said what he said regarding Crown Prince to see if King was playing along with Uncle. I mean King has basically done everything shes asked and has gone out of his way to save her. His actions should mean to her that hes doing his best (i.e. Appointing CP, challenging the Uncle). But to overhear something and then to assume, followed by a RDV that shes really unsure of is putting the lives of others at risk. Dumb really and if shes always going to cry. ..this will tire her out and have no more energy for the rest of the show. ..its the Kings energy and his strategizing thats keepin me watching this drama, otherwise the teary eyes just puts me off …

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