The Tale of Lady Ok – K-drama Episode 4 Recap & Review

Episode 4

Episode 4 of The Tale of Lady Ok begins with So-hye and her men searching for Gu-deok. Tae-young hides while Yun-gyeom investigates the uproar. He puts two and two together and assures Tae-young that he won’t reveal her secret. To earn her confidence, he reveals his own – he cannot embrace a woman. They can save each other with their marriage and Tae-young agrees.

Seung-hwi and Man-seok attend the wedding out of curiosity and are shocked to see Yun-gyeom. Yuhyangso aka Mother’s Sanctuary are humiliated and vows to bring down the Seungs.

Yun-gyeom has another secret – he is the leader of the Devoted Hearts Association which is hidden behind a gisaeng house. He and all the kids he is training have the ‘heart’ character tattooed on their shoulders. His latest mission is to rescue a kid called Moon-soo. 

Meanwhile, a Minister Bak learns that Mt. Unbong in Cheongsu has gold. He enlists Scholar Lee Chung-il to oversee the illegal mining. But Lee’s wife, Madam Kim doesn’t trust Bak as he allowed another minister to frame her husband and exile them to Cheongsu. She refuses the offer but Lee secretly makes a deal with Madam Hong to fund the slave labour. In exchange, she wants their kids to wed. She offers a lavish dowry and Madam Kim agrees to the engagement.

Elsewhere, Tae-young’s business as a lawyer is flourishing. She has befriended Yun-gyeom’s younger brother, Do-gyeom and Seung dotes on her. She learns that Slaver Ji has tricked illiterate people into selling their kids to him and offers to help. Turns out, Ji and Lee are using the slave kids as miners. One of the kids is Moon-soo, a noble child who was caught crossdressing and sold to a brothel. 

At home, she finds Yun-gyeom changing and sees his tattoo. She has other problems as she informs Magistrate Seung about the kids. He too has an anonymous tip (from Yun-gyeom) about the slavers’ route.

Seung, Tae-young and the officers intercept Slaver Ji’s latest batch of kids and a fight ensues. Tae-young is almost wounded when a masked Yun-gyeom enters the fray. His mask momentarily slips but he runs off with Moon-soo after the slavers are caught. As for Slaver Ji, he takes Moon-soo’s friend hostage and runs off.

Tae-young finally confronts Yun-gyeom who is worried about her. She has questions and cannot understand why he is risking his life. He explains that the Devoted Hearts Association rescues outcasts like him. He saved Moon-soo as he was the only slave kid without a home. He is simply training the kids for self-defence.

That night, the noblemen’s sons visit the gisaeng house. One of them makes a move on Yun-gyeom’s trainee, Hae-gang and is shocked to learn that he is an effeminate-looking man. They try to kill him but Tae-young stops them. They insist that Hae-gang is unnatural and demand Magistrate Seung to take action.

Tae-young alerts Yun-gyeom who wants to rescue Hae-gang. She tries to caution him and he lashes out at her. He apologises and explains that Hae-gang was the first child he had saved.

At the trial, Tae-young reveals that the King himself exiled a bipolar man instead of executing him. Magistrate Seung agrees to ask for royal advice and the noblemen are furious.

Yun-gyeom thanks Tae-young as Hae-gang is bailed out. He understands that she is worried for him and offers to shut his operation. She knows he doesn’t wish it and so refuses.

Things go back to normal till Tae-young comes across one of the former slave kids who tells her about Mt. Unbong. It cuts to the remaining kids mining at the mountain. Lee and Minister Bak get news that Magistrate Seung is going to search the mountain courtesy of Tae-young. Moon-soo’s friend suddenly lets it slip that he wishes he could have escaped to the gisaeng house to train.

Bak assumes that the gisaengs are hiding rebels and Lee gets the idea of distracting Seung by rounding them up. They alert the provincial governor who orders Seung to find the rebels and the mountain search is paused. Lee finds Hae-gang at the Devoted Hearts hideout and kills him. His tattoo is revealed and Seung orders every man to be searched. 

Tae-young tries to help Yun-gyeom escape who is furious by the developments. Seung happens upon them and assumes his son is innocent. Yun-gyeom can’t take it anymore and reveals everything. A furious Seung orders him to shut it down but Yun-gyeom refuses. Seung disowns him and tells him to leave.

Nearby, Man-seok is setting up a gig for Seung-hwi. The guards corner them with swords and they instantly take off their clothes, marking them safe.

As Yun-gyeom and Tae-young try to run, they are cornered in a square. Yun-gyeom hides in an inn but is soon dragged out. He complies and as Tae-young looks in horror, he doesn’t have the tattoo. He winks and turns out he is Seung-hwi. A flashback shows Yun-gyeom coincidentally hiding in Seung-hwi’s room. Seung-hwi understands the situation and offers to switch places for Tae-young’s sake.

At present, Yun-gyeom and Tae-young are grateful but as they leave, Seung-hwi looks sad. As for Yun-gyeom, he promises to return one day after Tae-young offers to explain everything to Seung.

At the end of The Tale of Lady Ok Episode 4, Seung confesses to Tae-young that he regrets his harsh words as a father. He begs Tae-young to leave as he is sure to become the scapegoat but she refuses. On cue, the provincial governor arrives with a royal decree – Seung’s negligence is tantamount to treason. Lee is rewarded while Seung is stripped of his position and assets. He faints and everyone runs to him.

The Episode Review

The Tale of Lady Ok Episode 4 makes us realise just how good this K-drama has been so far. It has been a while since we looked forward to a sageuk every week and this one comes right in time to rescue the genre. But like any show with a strong start, it also makes us wary of what will happen next.

And that is purely because of how emphatically this show is split up into different segments with mini conflicts rather than one large, overarching mystery. First, there is Gu-deok’s backstory. Next is Gu-deok adjusting as Tae-young. And right when she gets comfortable as Tae-young, her life is ruined by Lee.

So far, the K-drama hasn’t let us down so, we can give it the benefit of the doubt. This chapter in particular, after a cruel wait, makes us realise the importance of the attachment factor. This is possible thanks to well-written likeable characters in perilous situations that make us worry for them. And this is the perfect description for Tae-young. Say what you want about Lim Ji-yeon’s PR moves, but she has a clever eye for K-dramas. 

So, does Choo Young-woo with his characterization of Yun-gyeom. It almost feels like a nod to his BL roots with the way the writers swiftly dealt with the doppelganger-love triangle by revealing Yun-gyeom as queer. But what happens to him now? We will always root for Seung-hwi but Yun-gyeom has stolen our hearts.