Captivating The King 2024 K Drama Episode 4

Lee In is a prince with a caring older brother, King Lee Sun. Pledging loyalty to his brother, Lee In is taken hostage by the Qing Dynasty. Unfortunately, King Lee Sun misinterprets this loyalty as betrayal, leading to a strained relationship. Lee In suffers emotionally due to his brother’s resentment.

During his time as a hostage, Lee In encounters an unknown baduk player who captivates him with her skills. Eventually, circumstances unfold, and Lee In ascends to the throne as the king. Despite holding a powerful position, he grapples with internal sadness and vulnerability.

A still from the series “Captivating the King”

Kang Hee Soo, previously known as a skilled but unknown baduk player, crosses paths with Prince Lee In and falls in love with him. However, fate takes a twist as she becomes a spy with a mission for revenge. Her journey involves approaching King Lee In, adding complexities to their intertwined destinies.

Captivating the King Episode 4 Recap

Lee In breaks down and asks his brother to believe him but he asks in return to gain trust, Lee In must kill himself by taking the blame for being the spy. Lee In requests his brother, the King, to kill him but before he can, the King pukes blood and collapses. They learn that the herbal medicine has been poisoned. Before the physician could arrive, the King dies leaving his last words where he states that Lee In must find the one who poisoned him and ascend the Prince Royal to the throne.

When the news of the King’s death passes, the minister of War, Jong-bae returns with wrath in his eyes. He asks whether the King left his last words and Lee In says yes before changing the whole story and stating the King wanted him to ascend the throne and protect the nation. Jong-bae doesn’t believe in Lee In’s words and asks for a witness. Just then the court lady comes and becomes the witness. We see in the flashback that Lee In requested her to say the same. Likewise, the physician also says that the King died of illness and it’s not a murder.

A still from the series “Captivating the King”

Lee In tells the ministers that he has no intention to become the King and that even if one minister opposes, he’ll back off. He clearly has a plan and knows Jong-bae is the only one who will oppose him. Jong-bae fights to get a confession from the Baduk player Mong-woo/Hee-soo stating the spy was sent by Lee In. He sends Hyun-bo, his right hand to carry the duty. However, Myung-ha who knows that Mong-woo is Hee-soo, demands he interrogates.

During the interrogation, he requests Hee-soo to blame Lee In but she doesn’t abide by his ways. The next day, Jong-bae brings evidence showing the confession of the Baduk player and requests the arrest of Lee In. However, Lee In says that he has a witness to tell that the confession is a forgery. The witness is none other than Hyun-bo. He betrays Jong-bae and sides with Lee In. This results in Jong-bae’s execution in front of his son Myung-ha.

We then learn that Lee In bought Hyun-bo by agreeing to punish Mong-woo/Hee-soo and the comfort woman. Lee In orders that the criminals endure severe punishment. Mong-woo/Hee-soo pleads to Lee In to spare her friend, the comfort woman, stating that’s his/her wish for the promise they made. However, Lee In acts coldly and says that he is no longer a normal man to offer the wish. This leads to the captives to endure the punishment which results in the comfort woman’s death.

A still from the series “Captivating the King”

Mong-woo/Hee-soo escapes from the soldiers and promises herself that she will return to avenge the death of her friend and make Lee In suffer. Meanwhile, Lee In orders the wife of his brother, the Queen, to leave for the temple and become a monk if she wants her son Prince Royal alive. She pleads with Lee In to spare her nephew Myung-ha as well and he accepts. He transfers Myung-ha to a dire town and he promises himself that he will also return and take his revenge on Lee In.

Three years later we see that the people are living happily under the King’s order. The palace announces a public notice for a strong Baduk player to play with the King. We see Mong-woo/Hee-soo coming back after many years to join the contest and finally meet Lee In, the man she hates.

Captivating the King Episode 4 Review

The episode is highly fascinating given we see so many themes that take us back to the old times. The way the people lie to reach the throne, the amount of sacrifices, bloodshed and betrayals. Though Lee In has his reasons for lying and betraying, what he did is wrong. He wanted to protect his nation and so sacrificed everyone around him which he had to do. The poor victims were Myung-ha, Hee-soo and so many others who indeed were fighting for the truth.

A still from the series “Captivating the King”

It all starts with the late King, to be honest. If only he had been wise enough to trust his brother Lee In and actually plan out well, good things would have followed. Rather he was hasty and selfish, making dumb decisions that in the end put everyone around him in danger. Finally Lee In believed that he is the only one who could make things right and he indeed did it but sadly he internally became a ruthless person.