The Tale of Lady Ok – K-drama Episode 9 Recap & Review

Episode 9

Episode 9 of The Tale of Lady Ok begins with Magistrate Oh arresting Tae-young. He gives her two options – to die in prison or accept the fate of a widow. Madam Kim asks Madam Hong and her husband, Cha for help but they refuse. The Provincial Governor is away on a mission and is unable to help Tae-young either.

Madam Song takes over as the matriarch of the Seungs. Mi-ryeong and Mak-sim are furious while Song brings back her violent practices on the Seung slaves. Her scheming is not over as she gifts Hong a ring from Tae-young’s collection and plans to get the Memorial Gate soon. At the same time, Mi-ryeong doesn’t feel well and Mak-sim realises she is pregnant.

A hungry Tae-young is bitten by rats and she starts hallucinating the real Tae-young telling her to live. She gives in and tells Magistrate Oh that she accepts his offer 

A public hearing takes place where Tae-young needs to bow to Yun-gyeom’s fake corpse which will seal her fate as a widow. Before the guards can force her, Yun-gyeom shows up with Do-gyeom. 

He has been in a shipwreck on the way to Qing and has lost all his memories. Everyone sympathises while Tae-young doesn’t buy his story.

However, she has bigger problems as she deals with Song first. She is cordial and provides Song a house in a faraway county. She is to leave after the welcome banquet for Yun-gyeom takes place. Madam Song acts politely as well but she is enraged and gives Do-gyeom some “healthy” pills to share with his brother. Mi-ryeong wants to tell him the truth but Tae-young stops her.

Meanwhile, Yun-gyeom is told his story and he apologises for his disappearance. A suspicious Tae-young offers him a drink but he refuses, citing the banquet. She is reminded that Seung-hwi is a lightweight while Yun-gyeom can hold his drink. But her argument keeps wavering as he displays exceptional martial arts the next morning but gives a Seung-hwi-like speech at the banquet.

Magistrate Oh arrives and is sheepish when Tae-young doesn’t press charges. She then eavesdrops while Oh threatens Song for roping him in the failed scheme.

Back to “Yun-gyeom,” Tae-young is once again suspicious when he looks at her lovingly. She pretends to sleep with him that night and rips off his robe. She is shocked to see Yun-gyeom’s Devoted Hearts tattoo and runs off.

Elsewhere, Magistrate Oh meets with Slaver Ji. Since they failed, he wants the agreement which he signed with Minister Bak. It promises bribes in exchange for the Memorial Gate. Slaver Ji refuses to give it as punishment for failing to kill Tae-young.

The Inspector eavesdrops and informs Tae-young and the Provincial Governor. They have been ordered not to investigate the Memorial Gate murders and the Inspector decides to find Ji and Oh’s benefactor secretly.

At the law firm, everyone’s trying to help put it back. Tae-young spots Do-gyeom and sends him home to look after his pregnant wife. Mi-ryeong recognises Song’s pills he has put in the liquor and insists on setting up the meal for the brothers. Alone, she checks the contents and confirms that they are lethal.

Back at the firm, Yun-gyeom is busy painting a desk but Tae-young can’t help but see Seung-hwi in him. The final straw is when Mak-sim announces that she is altering Yun-gyeom’s clothes as they don’t fit him right.

Tae-young takes him to the garden and reveals Seung-hwi has a pollen allergy. And on cue, he sneezes, blowing his cover. He apologises and tries to explain himself. He also learned martial arts after Mt. Unbong which is why he could pass off as Yun-gyeom. She believes it is dangerous and tells him to go back to Qing. He insists that he has postponed the performance and will leave after everything is resolved.

However, Man-seok has been watching from the shadows and approaches her. He explains that it was a royal performance which cannot be rescheduled. Seung-hwi pretended to die on the way and left everything behind to save her. Man-seok begs her not to turn him away as he is finally her husband. She looks sad while recalling their memories together at the end of The Tale of Lady Ok Episode 9.

The Episode Review

The Tale of Lady Ok Episode 9 sets the show back on track with mini-conflicts, identity-swapping, scheming and comedy. Once again, we are surprised by just how much action the writers pack into an hour’s worth of episode. Right when they resolve Magistrate Oh’s drama, Madam Song messes about while Seung-hwi follows his heart instead of his mind.

By the way, we called it, the guy who showed up was not at all Yun-gyeom. One, the K-drama teaser messed up by showing Seung-hwi getting the tattoo. And second, having the male lead follow the female lead’s footsteps in claiming memory loss cannot be a coincidence. 

But we are dying to know what happened to the real Yun-gyeom and why he ignored Tae-young back in Incheon. Bring back our soldier boy! We miss him. Also, this is a testament to the writers and Young-woo for making viewers get the second lead syndrome for Yun-gyeom when he looks exactly like the male lead character.