The Last Empress: Episode 21 and 22 Live Recap

Sunni is sleeping in the bathtub with a bat, y’all! Ah! What is going to happen today?!

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Shorthand Chart: The Last Empress Character Chart

How we do this: We update the post around every 10 minutes. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later depending on the scene. There will be typos which we have fantasies of fixing once the episode finishes airing. Also, there might be lovely updates at the bottom, so check back in!

Recap Countdown: Starts at 9:00 am!…Check twitter for updates!

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KOREAN DRAMA THE LAST EMPRESS RECAP EPISODE 21+22

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#1

OPENING

We are back at the play. The Emperor is there with his cameras pretending to be touched. Then Suni comes in looking stunning in her tasteful and elegant red dress. She walks right to the Emperor and tells him that she was hurt a lot in the palace and had a lot of sad days, but seperating from him is the worst thing possible. So lets get back together your highness. I will also raise Ari well.

Emperor – *whispers* Hey, this is not as we promised, just stop.

Suni – I love you Emperor.

She hugs him to applause by all the people in the audience. They walk out arm in arm to crowds of photographers. Suni gets into the Palace car along with the Emperor.

Hyuk – What are you doing!

But a reporter talks to them from the window and says he will take photos of them now. The Emperor has to smile for him. He tells Wang-sik to head tot he palace.

In the palace, they have their confrontation.

The Emperor wants to know what is going on with Suni, just leave. But Suni tells him that he needs her to recover his image, he needs to show people that he tried to keep his family together with his wife. I am the one that loves you so who will point their finger at you. Wang-sik listens to all of this. Suni tells him that she went too far, now she knows how scary palace life is.

Emperor – What do you want?

Suni – I want my dignity back. No one trusts me even though secretary hong says that she killed Grandmother. After I clear my name, I will live as a normal person even after I leave the palace. Just think about it as if I gave you a job as the Empress.

Emperor – Does that make sense?

SN – Just think of it as a contract marriage, you can dump me at anytime if you don’t need me.

The emperor goes and tells this to his mother. They are apprehensive. They know that Suni will enherit everything if she maintains her position as empress. What can they do? Everyone knows about this. Also, how can they trust Oh Suni, of course they can’t trust her, that is why we have to keep her in the palace. You have to keep your most dangerous enemies close. Dont’ worry, I will not let her get that inheritance. Where is Chon Woo-bin?

Cut to Wang-sik meeting with them. They want him to make the Empress his woman to give her a blemish. Then they can get divorced. If that happens then you can ask me anything. You already have a rumor with her so it will be easy. Can we trust you?

Afterward, Hyuk walks out with Wang-sik. he tells ES that he did not know that he would ask him for this kind of thing. WS says it would be easier if he told him to kill her. Hyuk tells him that it should be easy, she will be attracted to you so quicly. But WS wants to know, what if I really fall in love with her? Hyuk laughs and says that it will not happen, there is nothing attractive about her. He laughs and leaves.

Hyuk meets with Yura next, she asks why he took Oh Suni back? Yura says that they need her right now. Yura thinks the stupid citizens will forget everything later on with other issues that can come up. But Hyuk tells her that he and his mother will take care of it, step out of this matter. he leaves.

Elsewhere, Suni meets with Wang-sik. He tells her that he is serving her again, my Empress Suni smiles and says that seh will not make any trouble again. She will live like she does not exist. WS  asks if she blames him and thinks that he needs to make her his woman. 

Suni tells him that she does not blame him, how can he oppose the Emperor of the country? It is my fault that I went too far. isn’t it? She walks to her room. he wonders why she came back, my empress.

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#2

Suni goes into the room and sees an illusion of the Grandmother. She tells her that she is sorry that she left her alone so long. Grandmother smiles and says it is okay, she trusts her 100%. Real trust is in the circumstances where I should not trust. Don’t cry, it will mess up your pretty face. Do you want to play a Go Stop game? Call?

Suni smiles and nods so Grandmother starts to prepare the game. But then she disappears.

SN – grandmother, did you meet Secretary Hong and are having a nice time there? Well, I am here to give you my last greeting.

She bows to Grandmother.

She then visits Kang next. She tells Kang that she is sorry she misbehaved, she will do anything they ask her. Kang says that they will not support her in anything except formal events. All her spending and eating is not supported. If you don’t like it then you should leave.

Suni says that she will do it, she will not affect the palace. That is her decision. Kang says she should like it, they will cover up all that she did.

Press Meeting.

VO – We will accept Ari as the princess and take all the proper steps today. This is all because he Empress made a brave decision.

Ari is about to be introduced as a princess in the palace. She walks up and everyone applauds. There is no opposition to make her a princess. She gets her princess outer wear and her tiny crown. So now she is a princess. Yura is amazingly jealous. Everyone tells her that it is an honor to serve her. 

Ari – As the princess of the Korean Empire, I will do my best to keep the dignity and study hard. I give you my oath. i have a lot of interest in the environment adn the economy. (She speaks in several languages about politics and the world)

The reporters tell her that she is so smart, almost like the Emperor was in his youth. Do you have any special ways that you are educating the princess to be that smart.

Hyuk – Nothing special, she just looks after me and is interested in the environment.

Reporter – Do you have a word Empress?

Empress – I am so happy to have this lovely young Princess in my life, I will do my best to raise her. 

Kang – To celebrate today, I will buy advertisement to the media that came today to celebrate this event.

later on, the Royal family meets all together. Kang says that the Royal family looked good today at the event. She tells Ari to study well. Ari hops up and runs to hug Suni to thank her for accepting her as her daughter. Suni smiles and tells her that studying is important but you should learn how to play in the dirt as well, there are some things that you can only do at your age. Ari says that she will do it!

Sojin is so annoyed and says that she can say mother so well, I have been your mother but you have been ignoring me. kang tells Sojin that Ari outranks her now so she needs to watch her mouth. Sojin is bitter about that and sulks while Ari happily looks on.

Outside, Kang walks with all her people and says that it is so easy to have the palace in her hands. The secretary team then gos to Suni’s room and removes everything from it. Yura tells her that it is an order from kang. She told me to put everything that fits your class. 

Suni tells her okay, you are working so hard for me. She smiles. the last thing Yura takes is the blue necklace. They all leave. Suni thinks that she is living a minimalistic life now, so it is all her room. She may as well clean.

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#3

She pulls out the Dyson and starts vacuuming it up.  Then she unpacks all her things from her bag. it looks like these are her only personal belongings. She takes some things out and also takes out the locket that she has that belongs to Na Wang-sik. Mini flashback to Byun explaining who Wang-sik is. Suni wonders if he is still alive and really wants to tell him thank you and sorry.

Yura goes to meet Kang and tells her that they cleaned up everything in Suni’s room. kang says that she will save the necklace for the next Empress. Yura looks like she wants to keep it. Kang tells her that she is planning on emptying Grndmothers room and adding new furniture, can you decorate it? Yura asks who is using it? Kang wants to find someone to occupy that place, she does not want to leave that huge building alone.

Elsewhere, Hyuk thanks the nanny for raising Ari. She is a legitimate princess now so the mother should deserve something as well. Tell me what you want. The Nanny says that she just wants one thing, she wants to live next to Ari. In a hut or shed, it does not matter. i just want to watch her grow up, please let me do that.

Meanwhile, Yura goes into Grandmothers quarters, she looks so happy as if this will be her room. But then the nanny comes in with the butler. The emperors orders are that the nanny will live there.  Yura is super stunned.

Nanny – Thank you for decorating this room for me, but I don’t need all these flashy decorations, I just need a blanket. Remove all of this.

The butler tells her that he will do all that she says. Yura nad the nanny give each other fierce looks.

Later on, Hyuk makes Wang-sik the Head of the security team. he tells him that this looks good on him, now he feels like he found the person that deserves this position. he will have a celebration tonight, look forward to it. He leaves.

he goes to his room. Yura asks how he can give that building to Gang-hee. Dont’ you know what kind of woman that is? She will take all your things one by one. But Hyuk thinks that Yura is becoming a tiring jealous woman, she has his heart, she has 99 but she is jealous of a woman that has 1. Get out!

Yura looks at him and thinks that she should not just trust him only.

back in the room, Ari asks the nanny if this is all her room? That is good for you. You should be thankful to me that you have this room. The nanny smiles happily. But then Ari asks for the rabbit fur scarf, you took it the day that granmother died. That was Grandmotehrs gift to me! I like it so much! Why did you take someone elses things! Give it to me!

The nanny thinks for a moment as if she is suspicious. Suni comes in and asks what the nanny did that night? She is there because she heard that the nanny took Granmothers room so she is there to get some of her belongings. Ari runs to Suni and smiles at her cheerfully, she happily tells her something and then goes to prepare something.

Suni walks up to the nanny an asks what happened that day, you should not lie about it. The nanny starts to say that she was hiding that night because kang wanted her found. She thought that the grandmother is the only person to save me so I went to her room early in the morning and saw Min Yura. She did not come out for a very long time (flashback to what happened that night. Yura read something and left.

Sunni – You saw Grandmothers chest had the hairstick in it? Why didn’t you tell anyone?

nanny – I did not see Yura stab her. I was also afraid for being blamed for everything.

Sunni – You did not even tell the police. 

nanny – Yura is under the emperors care, but I have no one to help me, like you empress. if anyone knows that I was in the palace, I would be in your position. The palace is like that.

Sunni – I understand you but…

Nanny – You won’t tell anyone right? You are the only one I can trust.

Sunni – Don’t cry. 

Sunni – (So Min Yura saw Grndmothers dead boy first, or she did that to Grandmother?)

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#4

MALL

Yura prepares for the Vincent Lee signing at the mall and tells Sojin and Helro that it is about to happen. Sojin yells, how can you do this without telling us! Yura just says that they were the ones that wanted to do the signing. If it did not work out then you are responsible for it.

Sojin asks how she can be responsible! Yura explains that she will be fired as CEO, of course. I am looking forward to it tomorrow.

Sojin is so angry that she shops. But this is the perfect time for Wang-sik to talk to her (aka seduce her). She asks why he is there? he says he is there to pick out woman’s clothing. Can you help me? She just pretends like she does not care and picks out something. he asks her if she likes it. She says she does not care because it is not for her, but he says she should like it because it is for her. This gets her attention. 

He says that he thinks she will be pretty in it. She says that he tells her she is pretty all the time, you spoil me. So…are we day one from today?

Wang-sik is all like…well, it has already been a few days for me, right?

She happily giggles.

Cut to Byun talking to Wang-sik in the garage. He tells him that he is the head of security and he is also doing well with Sojin ask well. he thinks Kang and Hyuk will break due to Suni and their weakness points. Byun says that Yoon finally contacted him, he thinks he finally made up his mind.

END PART ONE

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#5

HAN RIVER

Byun met with Yoon on the Han River. He asked him if he is ready to tell him what happened that day? Flashback to Hyuk trying to kill Yoon with his sword.

Yoon – This is Empress So-hyun’s diary. I am sorry to give it to you so late. I hope it helps you figure out what happened. It was several years ago.

Byun – hank you, this is enough. When we have more doubt in the palace, then silenced Witnesses will show themselves.

Yoon – You shuold meet someone before that.

Cut to he restaurant. Geum-mo Appa wonders if he should be happy since their business is going well with Suni. His daughter is working behind he counter but is stressed. Yoon walks in with Byun. The father goes to talk to them and says that Byun can have a ticket since they are packed.

But then he thinks he looks familiar. Suddenly they both salute each other!

Byun – PIL SUNG THE MARINE THAT CATCHES GHOSTS, 570TH BYUN BAEK KO

Appa – PIL SUNG, THE MARINE CORE THAT CATCHES GHOSTS 566 OH GEUM MO

They both hug and happily chat.

Byun – Wow, it has been 30 years! 

Appa – My nickname is Chicken eyes!

Yoon is all like, wait, they know each other? Appa tells his daughter to say hi, he is his army friend. Bring me some drinks!

Cut to the two of them looking super drunk and still drinking and talking to each other in the restaurant. he wonders if they are having the Emperor father in law meeting off line. This is it! hey Private first class Byun, please accept my drink. Yes Hoobae! NO Private first class! (drunk talk).

CLUB

Elsewhere, Hyuk meets with Wang-sik at a private room to celebrate his promotion. WS also has a bit of a sudden headache attack. he tells WS to call him hyung in private. he never thought he would have have a younger brother. WS asks about Lee Yoon. Hyuk says that guy is an a-hole that just screws him up. Mother and father only liked him! *breaks glass* I wanted to kill him. He wanted to take over my place.

Wang-sik tells him, very seriously, that will never happen, I will be next to you all the time. Hyuk tells him that he trusts him. You are always on my side. Enjoy, drink! Yura comes in to the party. Hyuk asks how she knows to be there? WS goes to the bathroom and Yura slides in to the seat next to Hyuk. She tells him that she is sorry she was so sensitive before. She was so stupid. He tells her that she is the one that will be next to him in the end. No one can take you from me.

Meanwhile, Wang-sik walks outside but falls on the ground. It looks like his head is hurting him more than normal. 

Yura excuses herself and goes to the door. She sees Wang-sik’s painkillers in his stuff but is able to slide them back in when Wang-sik comes in. She pretends to freshen up her lipstick and goes back to sit with Hyuk. Wang-sik looks like he suspects her. But Yura tries to act nice and asks wang-sik to tell her about himself. Is there anyone that you like?

hyuk is also curious with his dong-sang. Someone should like you a lot.

WS – I was betrayed, I liked her so much but she took another man.

Hyuk – Bad woman

Yura – What kind of woman was she?

WS – She was pretty and stylish like you I wasn’t good enough for her so she betrayed me.

Hyuk – Hye, my brother, unlike how she looks, she actually had a hard time growing up because she is an orphan.

Yura – don’t say that.

Hyuk – I don’t want to hide things from him, he is my brother.

Yura – I don’t want to think about it, it was so difficult.

Hyuk – Yes, your adoptive mother was trash.

Yura – lets not talk about it, it will destroy out mood. do you want to play the King game?

Hyuk – Yes, the King should play King game. *so seriously*

Meanwhile, Wang-sik is about to burst.

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#6

Cut to Hyuk putting Yura on the bed, she is passed out drunk. Hyuklaughs and says its funny, she wanted to play the King game but she is passed out frist. He leaves after laughing.

Wang-sik looks through Yura’s pockets but then stopw when Hyuk comes back in to give him a big hug. He tells him to sleep well and then hops in bed with yura. But Yura was only pretending to be passed out, she knows that Wang-sik was rummaging through her pockets.

Wang-sik walk outside and thinks about Yura being a part of his mothers death. Hyuk ran her over but Yura hit her with a stone. he thinks abotu Yura talking about how her past was so difficult and all the things that he has over heard. He thinks that he can kill her so many times, but he would rather show her disgusting self tot he world and kill her as an empty skin.

he runs to Suni’s room and sees her sleeping in the bathtub with her bat. He pulls the blanket over her and gives her one more look as she snuggles in under them. Then he heads out dramatically.

MORNING

Yura asks the pharmascist to find out what drug she stole from WS is.

Meanwhile, Suni does a live chat with the people of Korea. They cannot believe that this is true. Suni says Goodmorning to everyone, she would like to start a live broadcast. Some of the comments are that she killed someone and she is a murderer, how can she be on the TV? Is this s lookalike? This is so new for an empress to be on a broadcast. 

Suni tells them that they are so energetic in the morning. She tells them that her job is to be the empress and she will do this every morning. She will show them everything about the empire int he morning.

There is one bad commenter but everyone else is really nice and wants him to leave. They tell her that they hope she won’t be hurt and good morning and lots of hearts and things. 

Suni lets them know that she made a corner for them to ask the empress. Ask anything you want to know about the palace. The *not likes* are greater than the *likes* on this video. People aren’t sure if this is acting or real? Suni tells them all goodbye, see you tomorrow.

She closes the live chat and says it is day one. Nothing is easy from the beginning.

In her room, Kang sees that the news is all about the live chat that the Empress had. She is shocked.

But her father loves it and looks at the live chat with yoon. Yoon tells him that it was smart. They both laugh happily at how smart Suni is. Helro wonders what the palace will do. It will be a big issue if she misses one day so the palace cannot stop it. She is so amazed that Oh Suni used her brain for the first time in the 30 years in her life.

Appa tells Helro that she spent some money on her hair. Why? helro says that this is probably her last time at work. She is quitting becuase they gave her such a hard time for not getting Vinent Lee, so I am going to throw my resignation letter in their face. Yoon asks who Vincent is and if she is really quitting because of that.

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#7

PALACE

Ari talks to Hyuk about the environment and pollution and how kids are dying because of it, we need to speed up ways to save the environment and help them. Hyuk says that it is good on paper but hard in real life. 

Ari stars crying because she is so thankful that he answered her. She is so happy. But Hyuk tells hr that the princess should not cry so easily. Ari says that she is sorry, she will not cry again ever! Suni is also there and asks to use the restroom, she cannot go back to her place Emperor. He tells her to use it quickly.

Suni goes into the bathroom and starts looking around for the hidden door. She remembers where it was located and that a man took her there. She tries to think about how it was a man that was this tall with this type of body. She basically describes Wang-sik and then Wang-sik comes in. He tells her that she didn’t lock the door and Kang is looking for her.

Suni runs off to talk to Kang in front of Hyuk and other servants. Kang thinks this live broadcast is strange, what is she doing? Hyuk mentions that she is supposed to be helpful to the Empire. kang says that the Empire is a sacred place, there isn’t even any CCTV here. Why do you have this cheap broadcast.

Suni tells them that she ha to make a living, she does not have any support, so this is her part time job. It will not be a minus to the Empire. Sojin sees that this is super popular, over 10,000 comments and all the famous people inside and outside of Korea are subscribing to it.

kang tells them that she does not believe it. you need to come to our shopping mall event and we can check this right away.

Cut to the shopping mall event. There is a lrge crowd and there is also a suspicious person in the crowd. Everyone wants a signature from Suni, no one cares about the Emperor and the Queen Mother. Someone texts that the Emperor and Mother are all show. They are pretending.

The Emperor and Queen stand by Suni and then they walk in together.

Yura is there and Sojin runs to hr side and says that she is spending so much effort to fire one person. You just want to fire Helro becuase she is the empresses sister. Then the sister comes in looking fabulous. Sojin wonders why she is so dressed up. Yura tells her that she has nothing to lose, just like her sister. She wants to know what she will do. helro tells her that she is screwing her up like this, so she knows how much her eunnie suffered in the palace.

Helro and Yura bicker back and forth. Sojin tells her that she went to far, how can helro pay for any losses, isn’t it enough to be fired. Helro tells Sojin that she is not getting fired. She walks to the stage.

Helro stands and walks to the stage, she gives Suni a wink and tells everyone that it is an honor to be there. I am Vincent Lee. They all ask if she is the sister of the Empress. Helro says that she is, that is why she did not want to reveal this. 

Flashback to Helro talking to Yoon, he tells her that he is the Vincent Lee that she is looking for. He shows her his Identity card from new York. Then he calls the editor to prove it. The editor starts to talk about the signing event and asks if he is really going there. Vincent says he is really going there, but he is going to disguise himself. He asks Helro to be Vincent Lee for him.

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#8

In the news conference, Yoon tells Helro what to say in an earpiece as he looks on. They ask questions about his last book and the ending of it and all those things. He says he is writing the book, he i sure it will meet your expectations. They start to fan signing.

Yura wonders what is going on. Sojin runs up to her and tells her this is a counter punch. There is a reason that she suggested this event. Sojin then tells kang that she prepared everything. Kang thinks that she didnt’ just do nothing after all. Hyuk wonders what the next event is and they start to head out.

Suni asks what Helro is doing? This is huge trouble. helro says she will tell her later, just ignore it.

The Palace leaves the event. But as they walk outside a man yells that they killed his mother, you are a murderer! It looks like this guy might be a plant. Wang-sik guides the mall out, but then the man comes in with a brick and tries to hit Suni over the head. But Wang-sik runs over to protect her and gets hit. Blood splatters. Wang-sik falls on the ground. 

The bad guy is handcuffed and looks at Yura, knowingly. kang notices it. Suni sees a bite mark on Wang-sik’s hand and starts to put two and two together.

Wang-sik is rushed into the emergency room. Suni calls Byun quickly. 

SN – It’s me, the guy that helped me, the eagle in the palace, it is Chun Woo-bin?

Byun – You figured it out?

SN – Nonsense, how can he be?

Byun – How did you find out?

SN _ He injured his head helping me, we are in the hospital

Byun – No, he should not go there, he has a bullet in his head

SN – What are you telling me?

Byun – He is the guy you are looking for, he is Wang-sik.

SN – What! Cha Woobin is Wang-sik?

Inside Yura mutters how that guy can mess things up. She is waiting for Wang-sik to go into the head scanner. Then she gets a call from the pharmacist about the medicine. it is a super strong painkiller that is mostly only used for soldiers from war.

Everyone runs to the x-ray room to find out what happened. The doctor is about to tell Hyuk and Yura about the bullet wound in the head but then Suni comes in with a doctor of her own and smiles at them all.

Fade Out

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COMMENTS

Sunii knows just about everything now! I’m not sure what she does not know actually. I guess she does not know the full story of how Empress So-hyun died or anything involving Yoon.

It was so Boss of her to come in with her own doctor. Fun tidbit, the new doctor is always a main character in writer Kim Soon-ok’s dramas. So maybe he will have a big role for a couple days with this cameo? Or maybe it will just be a tiny cameo.

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The top Image is by SBS and edited using PicMonkey

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