Captivating The King 2024 K Drama Episode 1

Jan 23, 2024

Episode 1 of Captivating The King begins with a preamble – Qing has won over Joseon and has forced them to break their partnership with Ming. Grand Prince Jin-han is about to violently recruit some locals for the war but the King has surrendered. He tries to be kind to a kid but the locals storm off.

Qing asks for Jin-han as a hostage and appoints him as the successor. King Lee Sun and Jin-han have a tearful farewell as brothers. Jin-han’s mother and Lee Sun’s stepmother, Queen Dowager is furious and hates the King for it. Meanwhile, the Queen is delighted as this will reduce the influence of Queen Dowager and Park Jong-hwan’s faction. She quickly bears an heir, the Prince Royal.

Meanwhile, Jin-han works from within to help Joseon. He befriends Prince Rui by playing baduk. This way, he reduces the ransom on other Joseon hostages. He also stops Qing from replacing him with the baby Prince Royal. Finally, Jin-han is allowed to go home. He is excited to see his brother but is shocked when the King is cold to him.

King Lee Sun is sickly and has been poisoned with lies by the Queen’s brother, Kim Jong-bae that Jin-han is working with Rui to bring king. They are also busy trying to ally with Left State Councillor Kang by getting Jong-bae’s son, Myung-ha married to Kang’s daughter, Hee-soo. The Queen is hellbent on getting supporters to petition for the Prince Royal to become the successor, Crown Prince before the King dies.

Meanwhile, the King refuses to drink the medicine and makes a move on Queen Dowager’s attendant, Lady Dong. He kicks out Jin-han who spends his time in a gisaeng. Jong-bae sends his man, Hyun-bo to spy on him but Jin-han realises and runs off. He hangs out near a river with his guard, Sang-hwa when he hears some nobles playing baduk with a mysterious player who has never lost.

He keeps winning and taking their stones and baduk tables. If he loses, he will reveal his name but declares no one can win over him unless it is Jin-han. The men bring up the rumours but he scolds them for believing it. Jin-han is touched and follows him till he catches him near the gisaeng. Before he can offer to play, Hyun-bo makes a ruckus inside to find Jin-han.

He beats the head courtesan, Hong-jang but the baduk player comes to her rescue by throwing a table at him. Jin-han shows up and Hyun-bo runs off but not before vowing to punish the baduk player. It is revealed that Hong-jang is Hyun-bo’s sister, she was one of the hostages and the baduk player paid her ransom.

The player returns home and is revealed to be Hee-soo, she sneaks out to play baduk and earn enough to pay for the ransoms of the Joseon hostages in Qing. Myung-ha pays her a visit as he has fallen for her and wants to marry her. Having lost to her once, she refuses to marry him. Kang says he won’t marry his daughter against her will but knows she must at one point.

She gives in and agrees to marry whoever beats her in baduk. It is revealed that Kang abandoned her during the war, and she was raised by her attendant, Jageunnyeon. But she doesn’t resent him and accepts that he was serving Jin-han who did a lot for their country. At court, Park Jong-hwan orders Kang to pick a side but he refuses.

When Hee-soo next heads out, Hong-jang reveals that Jin-han has been waiting for her every day but she is embarrassed and avoids him. She leaves but Hong-jang notices Hyun-bo’s men follow Hee-so. They surround her in an alley but Jin-han shows up after Hong-jang tells him. He defends Hee-so and is cut. She worries and he is glad he took the knife for her at the end of Captivating The King Episode 1.

The Episode Review

Captivating The King Episode 1 is off to a good start. Poor Jin-han is so emotional but everyone around him is busy plotting against or for him. All he wants to do is play baduk and hang out with his brother. But what is up with the King, did the Queen poison him or is he simply sick? Kang too seems a little shady as he is nice to Jin-han but refuses to side with his uncle, Park.

By the way, why does Hee-so have eye makeup and hime bangs when she is in the Joseon era and meant to be masquerading as a man? The costume department could have done better. But the actress has definitely had a glow-up from her Rookie Historian days where she played a similar character but we just couldn’t help but get annoyed with her at every turn. Hee-soo, however, seems charming and funny, and is about to steal hearts including Jin-han’s…