Captivating The King 2024 K Drama Episode 2

Jan 23, 2024

Episode 2 of Captivating The King begins with Hee-soo worrying while Jin-han gets treated. She sneaks on him while he is resting but he stops her from leaving. He wants to play baduk with her but she claims she only plays on a bet. He agrees and they start playing. They are so engrossed that they don’t notice Hong-jang.

Their hands touch and both are flustered. Jin-han declares that Hee-so will win in the next move and she accepts victory. It rains and he describes it as mongwoo. Her prize is him bestowing Mong-woo as her nickname and promises to play with him the next time there is mongwoo.

As he gets ready to leave, he struggles and commands her to dress him up. She struggles as Hong-jang has always dressed her as a man and it seems Jin-han knows why. He notices her slender hands but declares that Mong-woo is just a bratty wealthy noble. She is giddy with happiness after he leaves. Sang-hwa also notices Jin-han looking happy because of her.

Hee-soo confesses to Hong-jang that she was losing but pretended to win by accepting the early victory. Her heart races and Hong-jang says she has fallen for Jin-han but Hee-soo laughs it off.

At the Kims’, Jong-bae is reprimanding Hyun-bo for Jin-han’s injury. The Grand Prince shows up and Hyun-bo makes up feeble excuses which irks Myung-ha. Jin-han tells Hyun-bo to get Hong-jang and Mong-woo’s forgiveness which makes him furious.

Jin-han then reveals that he has come to assure Jong-bae that he doesn’t want the throne. In return, the minister should stop with the rumours of him wanting it. He also tells Jong-bae to take his advice when Qing sends their conscription proposal in their war with Ming.

At the palace, the King is seriously ill. The Queen tries to flex her influence over the Queen Dowager but the King only allows Jin-han in. He says that everyone wants him dead and wonders if his brother does too. He is moved when Jin-han genuinely cries for him and they create a tentative truce.

Jong-bae confides with the Queen that the Qing envoy, Interpreter Jung will support Prince Royal as the heir but in exchange for the conscription. Jong-bae tries to get the King’s approval by provoking him that Jin-han is after the throne. The King sees through his lies but accepts the conscription as it may lead to war if he refuses.

Upset with Jong-bae abusing his power, the ministers want to file a petition to dismiss him. Kang tries to be diplomatic but Park encourages them.

But the King has other plans as he tells Kang to send a spy to Ming to tell them they are not being betrayed, the conscription is against his will. Kang asks for Chu Dal-ha and it cuts to Chu hanging out with Hee-soo. It seems that she had employed his help to rescue the hostages like Hong-jang. He reveals that Jin-han had reduced the ransom but it has increased again. Hee-soo notices that Chu and Hong-jang like each other and leaves them alone.

Outside, she spots Jin-han and follows him. He meets Park and the other ministers who suggest backing him as the successor. Furious, he calls it treason as the Prince royal is the legitimate heir and storms off. Hee-soo trips behind him and alerts him of her presence. He scoffs that she followed him because she was happy to see him.

Seeing that she is hurt, physically and emotionally, he apologises and dips her feet in the stream. He gets wistful about being home and she confesses that she would have lost the game had he not conceded first. They promise a rematch to decide the winner. At home, Kang tells Hee-soo that Jin-han is a threat and a target. Chu leaves for Ming with the King’s message and someone follows him

Hee-soo wonders how Jin-han will react if she reveals her identity and Hong-jang urges her to come clean. Queen Dowager and Park are not deterred as they have a plan for Jin-han to become king.

Myung-ha’s friend, Min Sang-hyo wants to beat the baduk player and Myung-ha accompanies him. He os shocked to see Hee-soo and runs off. She pretends to lose to Sang-hyo on seeing mongwoo and runs off. She is disappointed to see that Jin-han hasn’t come. But he does arrive and they are happy to see that the other came. Myung-ha suddenly shows up and declares he knows Mong-woo at the end of Captivating The King Episode 2.

The Episode Review

The K-drama is definitely getting more interesting as evident in Captivating The King Episode 2. It is full of melodrama but also light moments such as Jin-han and Hee-soo’s banter. We are used to the overarching mystery that every historical K-drama has by now, but Captivating The King keeps us on our toes.