The Tale of Nokdu: Episode 14 (27 – 28) Live Recap

Our poor babies are on their own as they navigate the ending of this tale. Dongju is on the run and Nokdu has moved over to the dark side in order to take revenge on his father, the King. But I have a feeling that his mother, the Queen might be a light to stop him in this quest. Ah, I can’t wait to find out what happens!

Our recap starts at 8 CST!

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Caution: Be wary of typos

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Original Soundtracks: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

Character Chart: The Tale of Nokdu Shorthand 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 8:00 CST….check Twitter for updates!

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KOREAN DRAMA THE TALE OF NOKDU EPISODE 14 (27 & 28) RECAP

——-dramamilk.com——-

#1

Nokdu and Dongju look at each other in the cover of night on the street.

ND – Do you know about who I am?

He start to cry softly. She also does.

ND – Run away….run.

She starts to back away slowly but still looks at him. Then she turns around and runs away. But she turns back to give Nokdu one last look before continuing on.

He takes several strong breaths as he tries not to cry as he watches her go. Then his former boss shows up. He asks why he is here. He says he was looking for the woman. No one came this way. i will look this way, you should go that way with the soldiers.

The man sys yes but asks why he is alone without anyone. Nokdu says he was in a hurry. Please go. The man bows and runs off.

Nokdu turns and starts to cry once again.

The guard goes to the King and says that he is looking for her. The King says that is fine, a young girl cannot do much alone. You can be excuse. What else do you have? The man says nothing, your highness.

The guard then goes to another guard and says that they nee to investigate Nokdu, how he lived and everything. if you find anything suspicious, then tell me everything.

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#2

In the morning, Dongju sits at her families gravesite and thinks about her last look at Nokdu on the street. Then she gets up and walks away. She leaves the flower ring behind.

Meanwhile, Nokdu walks up the flower path through the field. But he stops in the middle and stares ahead.

PALACE

THE next day at the palace, teh King heads out in a long parade as he heads to pay his respects to the former Kings. Eveyrone bows as he goes by. Nokdu is on a horse by his side.

One of the bowing people is Dongju. She is dressed as a man once again.

Elsewhere, The Queen is praying with her head maid. She asks if the King should be out of the palace now and then tells her that she wants to go back to the palace to see him.

She goes to the dungeon to see Yoon-jeo and tells the guards to let him go. I will take responsibility for everything.

On the parade, they are walking through the woods. The King asks Nokdu if he is nervous because he is out of the palace? Just behave normally.

Inside the palace, Yoon-jeo tells the Queen that her son is following the King as a guard.

Flashback to the Queen getting her pendant back from the guard. She is so happy to have it back and was told that one of the inspectors found it.

In the present, she thinks it must be that inspector that she met! She thinks back to Nokdu who lost his hat. She returned it to him. She asks Yoon if he is still next to the King even though he knows everything? She gasps and covers her mouth. Yoon tells her that he will stop it. You should go somewhere safe.

Her maid tells her that we should leave now. The Queen tells Yoon to be careful and that she does not deserve to ask him this, but please protect my son. he nods and heads off. The Queen hurries off as well.

In the parade, Dongju has followed them into the woods and is spying on them.

The parade heads to the memorial building and the King goes inside with everyone following behind him. Nokdu is to his side. Many guards remain outside. Yoon is also there spying on them in the trees.

He sneaks up and starts to walk along the fence. That is when he sees Dongju. So he pretends to be a normal person and keeps walking. She also pretends to be a normal person and keeps walking.

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#3

Inside the memorial building, the King drinks a bit. One of the guards asks him if he is okay, he looks tired. Another man says that when he was the Grand Prince he used to go all over the country, so you don’t have to worry about him. I heard that he used to stay in abandoned houses, not the temple. Isn’t that right King?

The King does not speak, he just takes another sip. The guard says that he knows that, he was with him them. He was a big support for people that undergo hardship. He risked his own life to help the people so the citizens felt like they were not abandoned. 

The King says, how can I abandon the citizens, they are like my own sons and daughters, of course I had to do it.

Nokdu is there as well and thinks back to his father telling his daddy that he has to kill him. 

In the present, Nokdu stands quickly and says that he has to go out to look around and check the guards. Please excuse me. The other guard tells him, how dare you. But the King says that these are old people stories, they should be boring for him.

Nokdu heads out, the King looks at him for a moment and then returns to his drink. 

Outside, Nokdu takes a few deep breathes and starts to walk away. He starts to walk to another building and opens the door to go inside. Dongju is also around the corner from this building.

Nokdu leaves and goes to a grouping of flowers on the ground. it is the same flower that he gave to Dongju as a ring. He pulls one of them. Dongju is about to say Nokdu or something similar. he hears hr and turns around. He whispers, Dongju?

But then a man comes outa nd tells him that he is crazy. Do you really have to be like this now? Anyway, don’t be late by the time we promised. Nokdu sternly tells him that he said he won’t be late. The man looks at him for a moment and says okay, lets go inside.

But before heading in, he asks if anything happened? Is someone else here? Nokdu tells him no, of course not. Lets go inside.

He goes inside with the man and Dongju comes out and looks at the flowers that Nokdu had arranged into a ring once again. he dropped it on the ground.

Nokdu comes back outside and looks for the voice he heard around the corner, but she is not there. Then he goes back to find the ring, but it is not there either.

MORNING

The main guard comes running up and tells the King that Yoon-jeo broke out of jail. The Queen snuck him out and disappeared with him. 

At the same time, Dongju is pointing her crossbow arrow at the King. She has him in her sites. But the King gets a sudden headache so Nokdu moves in front of King to help him stand. He is in front of the arrow.

The King tells his guards that they are trying to kill him. Increase the security and find the Queen and the sinner. Let’s go back now! The King asks the quickest way back to Hanyang and tells them that they are going that way right now. No delays!

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#4

Dongju swings back around to try and shoot the King again, but it is too late. her shot is no longer there as they have all started leaving.

The Kings plan has changed so one of the generals tells his team to look around on the path and make sure no one is there.

In the woods, a guard sees Dongju and puts a sword to her head as he tells her to drop her weapon! But then Yoon-jeo comes up and knocks that guard away, Dongju shoots the guard with her cross bow.

Later, DOngju ties Yoon-jeo’s wound as they sit by a tree. he says that he saw her the other day. Then he mentions that it looks like they are on the same path (or something like that). But he tells her to stop following the King. Dongju tells him that he does not look like a good soldier anyway.

Yoon says that he is not there to hurt anyone, he is there to protect an important person to him. Dongju asks if it is the King? Yoon asks, do you tink I would kill the Kings guard if that was so?

Dongju tells him that she does not care, do not be a burden to me. Yoon tells her that what she is doing is impossible, even though it might be successful, you will die. Dongju tells him that she promised to her dead mother that she would get their revenge (or her other wanted her to get revenge?).

Yoon can’t believe that she would promise that to her mother. You must be lying. No matter what their death is, no parent will tell their kid to kill someone and get revenge.

Dongju tells him that he does not know anything. But Yoon says that he is a parent, he knows, and it is what he worried about the most. My son is sacrificing his important life and trying to get his revenge. He is losing his important life like that.

He stands and tells DOngju that all her family members wish for her to be happy, not to live in hell and think about revenge or living in hell.

Dongju thinks about her mother who told her to wake up and to live. You should survive and…don’t be sorry…don’t be too sad….forget about all the cruel things that happend and forget about all that and survive my daughter. She hugs her and then dies. Dongju cries over her.

In the present, Dongju wipes a few tears as she thinks about tit and says, she told me not to be sorry and to forget about everything and to live. But what can I do. Everyone died in front of me. They all left. How can I have a happy life? What can I do? She starts to cry.

Yoon pats her on the back and tells her that he is sorry. He mettled for too long. But I want you to think about what I told you and whether that is really what you want to do.

Dongju runs off.

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#5

It starts raining so that delays the Kings return. The bridge on the route has been cut so everyone is taking a detour. it will be sun down soon and it is raining so the eunuch tells the King that he should stay there in this town until morning.

Cut to a politician telling Nokdu that it was a good idea to cut the bridge. Nokdu tells him that he brought a lot of soldiers to look at him, don’t worry about me. Just tell them that I will continue as promised, do it. He leaves. The politician grumbles.

In the woods, Dongju thinks about what Yoon told her, that her parents would want her to live in happiness, not hell.

Dongju tells herself that he does not know about her at all.

In Hanyang, Yool Moo heads out. Hwangtae asks him what it means when there are more guards at the palace? Yool Moo asks him if he is scared? You should be brave, we are all the way here now. Dont worry, our plan will move forward without any trouble.

They all head ooff in slow motion up the streets of Hanyang. Yool Moo is at the lead with his guard and Hwangtae following. Then we see dozens if not hundreds of soldiers following behind them.

They get to the gates of the palace. The palace guards wonder what is going on and head to tell the head guard. Teh head guard tells them to let them in. But the other guard says that this is a coup! The head guard says that he is apart of it. If you do not want to end your life right now, then open the door!

So the guards open the door.

Yool Moo walks in confidently.

END PART ONE

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#6

TOWN

The King is in his nightgown and drinks alone. he thinks about holding his son for the first time and wonders, why today….why today…

Then Nokdu comes in and bows to the King. He asks him if he was looking for him? The King says yes, he wanted to have a drink with him. So he pours him and drink and tells him to drink, one drink should be okay.

Nokdu says no. The King tells him that he picked a good person. Then he asks if he told his home that he won first place in the exam and was specially promoted? 

Nokduu says no.

The King asks, is your father very strict? That is why you haven’t told him?

Nokdu says that his father is very warm and nice. 

The King asks how a father and son can have a relationship that nice. I envy you. I was afraid of standing in front of people. I felt like I am standing on thin ice. So I always had to stand strong. I thought I was afraid of being betrayed or abandoned. But now I think I at least wanted him to like me at least once. At least once.

He takes another drink and says, well, this is not something that I should say. But if I did not know anything, if I lived like a family who had a father and son who liked each other.

Nokdu asks him if he regrets it?

The King says that the ice already broke and I am already in cold water, so regretting does not matter. It is too late….I need to lay down a little bit.

He lays on his bed and Nokdu watches him as he falls asleep. Then he looks at the sword to his left.

Outside, Nokdu talks to the politician. The politician thinks that it is taking too long. Is there another plan? You were about to do it and then thought that he was your father? 

Nokdu grips the man by the neck and tells him to shut up unless you want to die instead of him.

The mans ays that the King should go to the palace alive. Nokdu tells him to behave well if he wants a successful coup. The politician asks, what are you going to do! Are you really going to kill the King? Are you crazy!

Butt hen Nokdu sees Dongju running through the woods. He might not know it is Dongju though.

In the Palace, Daebi is led out of her room. 

Yool Moo’s guard ells yoolmoo that they took Daebi out and brought to the palace. They also have blocked all the messengers. Yool Moo tells Hwangtae that he just needs to do his job. then the King of the country will change.

Hwangtae asks if he will keep his promise if he becomes King? Yool Moo tells him that it all depends on him.

HT – If Nokdu does his job and the coup is successful

YM – Then I will kill him as I told you. What? Does this bother you now?

HT – No, so long as you keep the promise, I am happy.

The guard and Hwangtae leave. Yool Moo walks to the throne and turns to face everyone and then sits and looks around at the seat. he touches each side as he looks out over the throne room and smiles.

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#7

The King wakes up in the room. The inspector asks if he can come in so the King lets him in and sits up. the inspector comes in and tells the King that something happened. he found out something. He bows. The Kng asks if he found the Queen and Yoon? The inspector says that is not it, he has found out something about his guard.

In the woods, Nokdu keeps looking for DOngju. Dongju hides.

In the room, The inspector tells the King that Yeon died. He died a long time ago. The main family did not know because they lost contact with their family a long time ago.

The King asks, what about the guard?!

The inspector says that he dug around and heard a name while investigating.

Nokdu looks through the woods for Dongju

The King asks, you said Nokdu? Nokdu? The Inspector tells him yes, he was called that name. I think…he is the son that Jong Yoon-jeo raised.

The King starts to stutter and stammer and say, it shouldn’t be, it shouldn’t be. I will ask him in person. The inspector bows and says, yes your highness. The King starts to softly cry as he thinks about meeting Nokdu on the swings. 

The King says he looked like he was worrying about something. Nokdu says that he was, he was afraid that he would know something that he has to know but that he shouldnt’ ahve known. Then he thinks about him helping him up the mountain. Then he thought about how they don’t need any formality. he also thinks about Nokdu crying as he sat with him. He also thinks about him keeping the King from torturing Yoon-jeo.

The King starts to think, I gave him all my heart. How dare he…how dare he.

Dongju sees the King emerge from his room. The King mutters to himself, how dare he lie to me and stay right next to me. He grabs someones sword and hurries off.

But then a politician shows up with some assassins and says that tie goal is to kidnap the King and bring him to the palace. Kill anyone who stands in the way.

The King keeps walking through the woods, but is stopped by the politician. The politician smiles and tells him that eh should not be in this place. I have to take you secretly to the palace tonight.

The King is all like, what? To the palace? The assassins tarts to kill people and the King takes off running through the woods.

He runs to a cliffs edge. When he turns around he sees someone walking to him and asks if he is the politician!

Dongju walks up. He recognizes her and asks why seh is here and dressed like a woman? She tells him to throw his sword over the cliff. Hurry. Then I will answer what you asked me. Otherwise.

She pulls out he crossbow and points it at him.

In the town, the eunuch and everyone run around looking for him. They run inside all the homes and buildings as they carry torches and look for him.

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#8

In the woods, the King chucks his sword and asks her if she is happy now? Now tell me, why are you doing thsi to me?

She tells him that her real name is Yoo Eun-seo. You killed my entire family through suspicion of coup and you tried to di g up their graves. The King asks, are you the daughter of Yoo Yeon-gung?

Dongju says yes, he is my grandfather who used to tell me that, even though I am a woman, I can do anything I want to do.

The King sighs and says that she should have led a difficult life alone. Dongju tells him that because of him, she made a cross bow that she is not meant to make. He asks, to kill me? he starts to laugh and tells her that is why she came next to him, like “him”. You planned on killing me together? Do you think I killed innocent people? Do you think that your grandfather was inncoent? If I did not kill him then he would have killed me! That is the law of the world that me and your grandfather lived in! And see, my own son is trying to take over my King position! See!

Dongju asks, what did you just say? She starts to think about what Yool Moo told her about Nokdu being the son of the King. She also remembers Nokdu telling her that he wants to protect everything and his father.

In the present, teh King says that he will kill him first! He will kill him again! She asks if he will kill his own son? The King says yes! I will kill whoever tries to take over my position.

Dongju asks if Nokdu knows about this? Does he know that his father wants to kill him? Tears are trickling down her face. The Kign says yes! He knows, he has been next to me this entire time, of course he knows!

Then Nokdu shows up running to this spot. He see Dongju holding the crossbow at the King. the violin music kicks in.

But the other politician is following Nokdu and sees this as well.

Dongju tells the King that he is crazy. The King starts to laugh and says yes, he is, because he can only survive like this.

Dongju tells him that she was dreaming of killing him for a long time. I thought I would be happy. But to kill this man who is not even human, I spent my entire life and gave myself that much pain. Even though you are the highest and above everyone, it is the same as you already being dead. You don’t trust anyone and no one trusts you, you are just an empty shell.

She holds the crossbow up and aims it at him. We see the arrow from the crossbow all the way to the arrow head. Dongj takes aim and fires.

But the arrows shoots right by the King and right by Nokdu and into the politicians heart that was trying to Kill Nokdu right at that moment.

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#9

Everyone watches the arrow fly by them and shoot into the politician. Nokdu is shocked most of all.

Dongju tells the King he does not deserve to be killed. The King starts to hurry away, but trips and twits around s he starts to fall off the cliff. Dongju reaches out and grabs him and the King grabs her as well.

But she is falling over the edge. The King lets go of her and Nokdu grabs her and pulls her back to the edge.

Then they both look over the edge at the King who fell into the water. The Moon comes out as Nokdu walks back and tells the main guards that he has something to tell them.

MORNING

Elsewhere, Yoon tells the Queen that something happened.

In the palace, Yool Moo waits for the King to come back.

Cut to Nokdu walking in with the Kings carrier.

In a flashback, Nokdu told the guard all that happened. here is a coup by Yool Moo and the King fell off the cliff and into the water. Yool Moo is already in the palace. So while you look or the King, I will go into the palace.

Yoon is there too and tells the guard that the need to find the King and stop the coup. So please gather all the people. The soldiers that we have here are not enough though. Nokdu says that he knows that, so they need to buy some time.

Cut to the present where Nokdu walks into the palace with the Kings carrier behind him and all the servents walking behind it.

Yool Moo smiles and walks to Nokdu. He tells him, good job. But then Nokdu pulls out hiw sword and tries to kill Yool Moo, but Yool Moo does the Matrix move and doges it as everyone pulls their sword out.

Nokdu yells that they are there to supress the coup! Whoever regrets their choice, come to my side and I promise that you will be forgiven!

Yool Moo says that there is no one. Nokdu yells for his people to come in.

Then hundreds of people run inside including Master Hwang.

Fade Out

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COMMENTS

I would have loved it if, in that scene on the cliff, that Nokdu tried to keep the King from falling in. But the King, realizing that he was pulling both of them over the cliff, decided to let go of Nokdu’s hand which would have so much symbolism involved with him saving his son and letting him go. But then, it would have been nice if instead of just letting his father fall to his death in the water, that Nokdu dives off the cliff to save him becuase we know that he is an excellent swimmer and (cliff diver?) from the opening episodes. I probably would have ended the episode right there with Nokdu diving off the cliff mid air.

I am looking forward to tomorrow’s episode! Who thinks the King is still alive? Stranger things have happened in dramas, so it could be a possibility. Maybe that fall knocked the pride & prejudice out and some sense & empathy back into him!

PREVIEW

Queen – I am sorry, I did not know that you were alive like this.

YM – We have to serve him as King? We don’t even know how he lived his life. 

ND – Do you think that you deserve it? You, who is in the gisaeng jip all the time?

HT – I do not want to live hiding anymore

YJ – Lets leave the palace, if you are here ~ *stabbed*

HT – Father!

ND – How dare you come, it is so dangerous!

DJ – Wherever it is, the war or the fire, I will be there. I told you, I can’t live without you.

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