Saving The Assassins
Episode 6 of River Where The Moon Rises begins with Dal inviting the villagers over to the well and showing them the water. Pyong Gang speaks to the chief privately who admits that he sent her off to the palace to kill the King on purpose. After all, if a high-born daughter killed her King then it would throw the kingdom into turmoil. Pyong Gang is not happy but she remains shocked when she finds out that Tara San and Tara Jin have both been captured. The Chief wants to use them as bait to lure out the Princess and make her kill again. Only, she spins it in a way to make her feel like it’s her destiny to go off and save them. This gives Pyong Gang a lot to think about as she deliberates over whether to leave or not. Meanwhile, the King speaks to his Queen and admits that he misses Pyong Gang. She simply brushes aside these concerns and tells him that she’s going to bring extra medicine that night to help him sleep. Well, he rejects this and decides to remain sober instead. He even tasks Go Gun with finding the princess, especially given he’s convinced that she’s still alive. That next day Mo-Yong drops off herbs and medicine for the palace. She intends to build their trust and join in with Won-Pyo’s plotting, spying from the inside over exactly what the conspirators have planned. Mo-Yong first turns her attention to Go Gun though, believing she can get through him to Won-Pyo. Together, they sit and drink as Mi-Yong discusses his conflicted feelings over saving or killing the Princess. She admits that she hopes the Princess returns as Go Gun. It turns out he’s doing this for loyalty and love. When he stumbles away in his drunken state, he runs into Won-Pyo who admits that he’s going to execute the assassins the following day. Given he saved his Father’s life, Won-Pyo rewards his son by offering 300 men for Go Gun to control, determined to get revenge for this betrayal. Back in the village, Pyong Gang speaks to Sa Woon-Am about what happened the fateful day of the village massacre. With Pyong Gang and little Dal gone, we see familiar fragments play out again as she learns that the Queen stayed with the tribe until the very end. With this settled for now, Pyong Gang decides to set out and help the assassins. When Dal shows up, Pyong Gang lets her defences down and hugs him tightly from behind, telling him that she remembers this feeling. She holds this memory close to her as she heads off in the night, intent on returning to the palace. First though, she visits the Chief and tells him she’s going to follow through with her promise. First up though, she visits her Father (Yeom Deuk) and promises to help given she’s found a home for him. This brings her back to the City where she follows Tara San and Tara Jin as they’re due to be executed. Dal also happens to be there and remembers her words about not killing anyone. He takes Pyong Gang aside and sighs when he finds out she’s following through with this plan regardless. Instead of berating her though, he decides to help see this task through to its conclusion. Meanwhile, Go Gun leads his men into a trap with the hideout completely empty. The only thing left is a note telling him they’re shadows and won’t be caught. As they head off back to the palace, trouble brews in the wake of the execution. Pung-Gae starts a massive fire to distract the people, as thick clouds of black curl into the air. This gives Dal and Pyong Gang time to free the two assassins and lead them to safety. Unfortunately Dal is captured in the ensuing skirmish and held up at sword-point by the guards. Just before he’s killed, Pyong Gang returns and offers herself up to the guards. She tells them she’s the Princess and addresses Sang-Cheol directly over what he did to the tribe. Sang-Cheol is clearly rattled and gives the order to kill. Only, he deliberates just as Go Gun shows and reiterates her story. The guards all drop their swords, paying their respects to the princess as she’s thrust back into the hierarchical role she was born into. While the King is reunited with his Father, Mo-Yong arrives before the captors and tells them all that they’re going to live longer than she initially thought. Won-Pyo reels from this new development, thinking over to the Princess and how she was a killer when she lost her memory. He decides to try and use this to his advantage, turning Pyong Gang to his side and using her as a weapon. Tae-Mo returns to the Cheonjubang tribe and informs them what has happened with the Princess. He’s not happy and begins to scheme as we cut back to Pyong Gang, who greets the head of the five tribes including Won Pyo. She remembers him scheming from before she was hit with amnesia and realizes he is not to be trusted.
The Episode Review
River Where The Moon Rises returns with a much brisker pace and a story that develops the plot nicely. Pyong Gang returning to the palace seems like we’re moving away from the rolling hills of Ghost Valley and instead diving deep into the viper’s nest to witness political scheming and a bitter fight for the throne. It’s clear that both Go Gun and Mo-Yong are going to play a crucial role in the palace affairs going forward, with the latter working her way into gaining Won-Pyo’s trust. Elsewhere, Cheonjubang continue to watch from the wings and get involved in these schemes, with the damsel in distress trope used a few times this season already to try and save characters. This time it’s Dal, who finds himself captured again and Pyong Gang now back in the driving seat at the palace. A much improved episode bows out this week’s drama and it could just be what this show needs to crank up the tension!
