In “The Fatal Encounter”, King Jeongjo was traumatized as a child. His grandfather and his mother bowed to the political pressure of the Noron faction and his father died a cruel death. But they did it to save his life. Even though the Norons got their way, they were not pleased with King Jeongjo. For one thing, he told his court officials to stop nitpicking him about learning the teachings of Confucius and start applying the rules of Confucian ethics to real-life situations. He wanted to implement reforms that would help slaves and children of concubines. (No wonder they wanted to kill him.)
The Norons carefully planned the assassination and received the blessings of the Queen Dowager to carry it out. For years, they had taken small children, trained them to be assassins, and then placed them in the palace next to the king. The king had a trusted eunuch and it was his mission to kill the king. But the king and the eunuch had a close relationship from the time he was a young boy. When he learned that the eunuch betrayed him, he listened to his story of how he came to be an assassin. Instead of executing the eunuch, the king let him leave the palace but warned him not to ever come back.
The eunuch disobeyed the king and came back to thwart the assassination and if possible, save the life of his childhood friend. Since he had not killed the king, his friend was sent in to complete the mission.
Even though the queen dowager was so sure that she had everyone on her side. She had her family, the backing of the Norons, and a general who commanded the military forces. She did not count on the eunuch telling the king the entire plan. King Jeongjo went directly to the general and persuaded him not to shed blood and instead use the military to eliminate the assassins who had invaded the palace. In the end, the king offered to forgive the queen dowager and make peace. She humbly agreed to submit to the king since he promised he would not kill her or her family. (Oh how the mighty fall.)
** NOTE: A few K-dramas starring Hyn-Bin are WL-TBR (on my watch list – to be reviewed). If you watched them already, let me know in the comments. Thanks!
My personal rating is 9.5 out of 10 stars.
Sometimes bonds are forged during childhood and they can not be broken. Children know when they are loved and they know when they are abused. Don’t abusers realize that while they grow old and weak, the children – if they survive – might grow up strong? When they do, they’re not weak children, powerless, and under the abuser’s control anymore. If they manage to maintain their sanity and learn to think for themselves, they will no longer let others make life decisions for them. Number 77 had been raised for one purpose: to assassinate the king. But as a man, he made a decision that changed the course of the history of Joseon. Rather than kill the king, he chose to save the king.
Not all viewers gave “The Fatal Encounter” a glowing review. Whatever! They’re entitled to their opinion. I really love well-done Korean historical dramas, whether they are based on historical records or historical fiction. Don’t you?
What Sort of King Did Jeongjo Dream of Being? (Chapter 1) – A Unique Bancha | Cambridge Core
‘The Fatal Encounter’ Review: An Engrossing Korean Epic | Variety
Review: ‘The Fatal Encounter’ a pumped-up historical drama | Los Angeles Times
Movie Review: “The Fatal Encounter (The King’s Wrath)” (Spoilers) | Ayame’s Thoughts
‘The Fatal Encounter,’ a Tale of the Joseon Dynasty | The New York Times
Review: “The Fatal Encounter”: One Friend to Kill the King, One to Save the King | Soompi
Rotten Tomatoes Indie. “The Fatal Encounter Official Korean Trailer (2014) – Hyun Bin Drama Movie HD.” YouTube Video. YouTube, May 9, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUP6u9CQIUU.
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