[Drama 2018-2019] Empress Dignity / The Last Empress, 황후의 품격

[flutterby06]

I was thinking about watching the last two episodes in one go with subs..But I changed my mind thinking it's better to be quick with it and be done with it..But right now my internet connection is so down I can't..

 

But from the little spoiler I've collecteted from here and there I'm confused about one thing..

 

Did Sunny play enough role in bringing down the Royal Family at the ending? Synposis said Oh Sunny is going to bring down Imprerial family with the help of someone who's not actually important right now because he was not so important in the first place.

 

Is it actually The Last Empress who actively brought down the royals or is it The Empress Dowager..? who ultimately lost her mind and acted terribly thinking if she can't have the control of the palace no one can..?

[Purnima Dixit]

Though I have not watched the final week of The last empress !!  Cudn't make myself watch it without JinHyuk (so biased fangirl) ....But not taking credit away from  Shin SungRok,  he nailed it playing evil Pehya  as a character, Hyuk is a character an actor deserves ...Had seen him do more evil character than Hyuk...in My love from another star, so knew he wud do negative best ....but I was surprised by his comic scenes, he deserves a good rom com

Anyways, but still got to know the show ended with Hyuk's death, it was surprising... & Must be disappointed for HyukSunny shippers can understand the pain of your ship drowning....

 

I wonder, if I shud be happy or sad ... somewhere my guess of "Hyuk's death in climax" turned true......though reason might not be the same but still, my guess of Sunny ending up alone with both heroes dying in end turned true 

....

p.s.-Guess more than hero heroine Hyuk-WangShik love Ultimate true love both lived & died together...Out of everyone Hyuk genuinely trusted & believed WangShik, more than his blood relations...
Their bond was pure friendship from Hyuk.....they might meet each other in their afterlife ...

 

 

 

 

 

[butterflyempress]

I skimmed through this finale and sighed from how anti-climatic it was. It ended the way I knew it would.

 

Welp, I survived Moon Lovers and I watched a couple of dramas from this writer so at least I did go in with low expectations with the love line. 

 

I'm just going to do what I do best, think of fanfiction AUs to write now...excuse me. 

*goes back into lurker status*

[Hannah Truong]

51 minutes ago, butterflyempress said:

I skimmed through this finale and sighed from how anti-climatic it was. It ended the way I knew it would.

 

Welp, I survived Moon Lovers and I watched a couple of dramas from this writer so at least I did go in with low expectations with the love line. 

 

I'm just going to do what I do best, think of fanfiction AUs to write now...excuse me. 

*goes back into lurker status*

 

May I ask, have you written fan fics for sunny and WooBin? If so, where would I be able to read them?

[laivla]

Did I overlook something? Actually in the preview I saw Lee Hyuk write something and stamp it, and also Sunny read a letter.. 

I can't remember this... 

When it happen?? Anyone can remind me?? 

[titimaac]

20 minutes ago, laivla said:

¿Pasé por alto algo? De hecho, en la vista previa vi a Lee Hyuk escribir algo y estamparlo, y también Sunny leyó una carta. 

No puedo recordar esto ... 

¿¿Cuando suceda?? ¿Alguien me lo puede recordar? 

I  have the same question

[dreamqueen]

I've watched the finale and found it very bittersweet. I have no problem with Oh Sunny ending up alone, I kind of preferred it that way for a while to be honest.

Overall I was okay with the ending. I think they wrapped it up reasonably well considering Choi Jin Hyuk wasn't there to bring closure to Na Wang Siks story.

 

I wasn't prepared for Emperors death tho!

 

I agree with those wanting SSR in a romcom. I've become a new fan of his after watching his performance in TLE.

[katakwasabi]

1 hour ago, laivla said:

Did I overlook something? Actually in the preview I saw Lee Hyuk write something and stamp it, and also Sunny read a letter.. 

I can't remember this... 

When it happen?? Anyone can remind me?? 

 

Same question here. Where is his stamped will. Because i dont recall seeing it in the ep.

[ErikaJ]

I'm a little confused over how Sunny wasn't that upset over NWS's death and how he was basically an afterthought.  I mean I get that he wasn't able to appear in the last couple of episodes, but when Sunny is thinking about her time at the palace, there were no flashback scenes to the moments that she shared with NWS.  It feels cheap, considering that the writer had put in the time to develop their relationship as something meaningful to the both of them. I'm firmly in the camp that she never had any romantic feelings for him, but she definitely had a strong relationship with him, as referenced by the fact that they both have risked their lives to protect one another. It's honestly really poor writing. To make matters worse, her lack of response to NWS's death is almost immediately juxtaposed by her dramatically crying over Lee Hyuk's death. This is over a guy that she has openly been disgusted with and has hated. It doesn't really make any sense to me for her character to be so upset over his death in comparison to the one guy that she had promised to protect this entire time. Maybe she was so upset over his death because she realized that his feelings for her were actually sincere and because of how tragic his end was at the hand of his own mother. She definitely wasn't reciprocating his intense love for her because as he was dying, she never said that she loved him or anything along that vein. She just told him that if he actually felt sorry, then he has to pay for his sins in the right way and not die on her. Does that mean that if he had survived those gunshot wounds, she would have forgave him? I'm not quite sure. When Lee Hyuk asks Sunny if their relationship is truly over, she says that she could never forgive him, considering the fact that he has never owned up to anything that has happened and has never stood up for what is right. He did so this time in a valiant effort, but would she have fallen back in love with him if he had survived? I'm skeptical and hopeful that that isn't really the case.  I'm just frustrated that we got definitive answers that Lee Hyuk and NWS both liked Sunny, but on Sunny's end, we're not quite sure where she stood with either of them.

 

 

I guess you could validate this decision by saying that Sunny's purpose in the palace was never to have any kind of romantic relationship with anyone and that it was  simply just to take down the empire, but it just feels messy to me. I guess you could reason that the scenes between Lee Hyuk and Sunny were necessary to have the audience believe that he did love her and could turn on his mother and the empire for her. The writer probably also played into the fact that a lot of Korean fans shipped the two together and didn't mind those scenes. I guess you could also reason that NWS and Sunny had to have their moments for NWS to be so protective over Sunny and to develop Lee Hyuk's character. I mean think about it. He flipped out on Min Yura for having known NWS personally and stopped feeling anything for her (probably his lust) because of this; however, when he finds out about Sunny's knowledge of who NWS is, he ends up forgiving her because he actually does love her and not lust after her. Ultimately, I think the direction of the story worked well for Lee Hyuk and how his character developed, but I'm confused over the trajectory of the other characters. I'm glad that Sunny got her vengeance, but I'm disappointed by the writing. I have to watch the last four episodes in subs, but this is my initial reaction. How do you guys feel?

 

P.S.  I would definitely be down for a SSR- Jang Nara romantic comedy. If you ignore mostly everything when it comes to the context of their relationship, they do have chemistry. It would be cool to see them in a relationship, under normal circumstances like Lee Hyuk wanted. LOL. 

 

 

[nikki7]

Sunny truly is the last empress. At least the title stayed true to itself...

 

The ending left me feeling exactly like when I watched Goblin. Happy but bittersweet.

 

To all the casts, crews of TLE, thank you for a great show. 

 

Note: I am so gonna miss LH. He’s the most interesting male lead I’ve seen so far. Seriously wished they didn’t kill him...     

[katakwasabi]

After watching the final ep with subs..

 

I think what moved Hyuk to actually act is NWS's death. He died hugging the bomb. He died protecting others. 

 

Added with Sunny's effort to help him during the blast, and Granny's last letter his reason to start to act was fueled up.

 

He went totally alone, saying he will live as Na Wang Shik and finish NWS's plan. Thinking about it NWS plan was to kill Hyuk and bring down the imperial family. Looking at that alone, i say Hyuk did his job. He really did what NWS planned to do all along: kill him and destroy the empire. He was killed by his own mum at her poppy farm. Hyuk was pinned for all his mother's wrongdoing, Evil mum said to the press that Hyuk is the one that did all wrong, even the drugs was his doing. Hyuk just accepts and played along. Little did evil mum know that Hyuk is doing NWS's deed. Him being killed by evil mum in that lab(?) in some sense the best way to capture her. To actually prosecute her. She has lied her way through a lot of situations and put the blame on others. This time around the evidence was glaring (Hyuk's body and those poppies and drugs and blood) and there were also witnessess. 

 

I liked the finale. There are some questions left unawnsered, but all the villains got their punishment and might I add, the punishments were apt for their crimes. Choi got life sentence, Nanny and Evil Mum are on death row. Evil mum also lost her son. Nanny also somewhat lost her daughter, since Ari lost her memory due to shock. The ambiguous villains Yura and Hyuk also were punished: Yura lost her mind, Hyuk lost his life. NWS died a heroic death, even till the end he still put others before him.

 

Hyuk's last words to Sunny were heartwrenching to say the least. It was so sad. I was a mess. It is one of the saddest moments in my kdrama watching history. So sad. And it was acted so well, I can feel the sadness through the screen (exaggerating or maybe not). And i liked Hyuk's framing in this ep. He was bathed in sunlight a lot. 

 

Pic from another ep. 

 

Hyuk's last words: (me: cries a river)

 

I will miss Hyuk most of all. There's no denying to that. He became the drama for me. I started without knowing much of the premise, I stayed for the villains, i stayed as long as this for him. From the early eps, I said he will wrench my heart if he dies regardless of being good or bad. I am glad he made a choice to attempt to right something wrong. I'm glad he died as the best version he could possibly ever be. 

 

 

 

[ktcjdrama]

Have yet to watch with subs. Just got up not long ago... but I love what you've written above @katakwasabi it's pretty much my thoughts and feelings too.

[sunshine79]

I just watched the final episode with subs and I feel sad, it's 2 AM here and now how am I supposed to sleep.

 

I watched this drama after I finished watching "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes" which was  really beautiful but really sad. after watching some clips of TLE on youtube I decided to watch it by saying ok this is exicting I can forget TSHLE. I didn't know this was coming

 

thank you all. I really liked your posts

[dramaninja]

5 hours ago, ErikaJ said:

I'm a little confused over how Sunny wasn't that upset over NWS's death and how he was basically an afterthought.  I mean I get that he wasn't able to appear in the last couple of episodes, but when Sunny is thinking about her time at the palace, there were no flashback scenes to the moments that she shared with NWS.  It feels cheap, considering that the writer had put in the time to develop their relationship as something meaningful to the both of them. I'm firmly in the camp that she never had any romantic feelings for him, but she definitely had a strong relationship with him, as referenced by the fact that they both have risked their lives to protect one another. It's honestly really poor writing. To make matters worse, her lack of response to NWS's death is almost immediately juxtaposed by her dramatically crying over Lee Hyuk's death. This is over a guy that she has openly been disgusted with and has hated. It doesn't really make any sense to me for her character to be so upset over his death in comparison to the one guy that she had promised to protect this entire time. Maybe she was so upset over his death because she realized that his feelings for her were actually sincere and because of how tragic his end was at the hand of his own mother. She definitely wasn't reciprocating his intense love for her because as he was dying, she never said that she loved him or anything along that vein. She just told him that if he actually felt sorry, then he has to pay for his sins in the right way and not die on her. Does that mean that if he had survived those gunshot wounds, she would have forgave him? I'm not quite sure. When Lee Hyuk asks Sunny if their relationship is truly over, she says that she could never forgive him, considering the fact that he has never owned up to anything that has happened and has never stood up for what is right. He did so this time in a valiant effort, but would she have fallen back in love with him if he had survived? I'm skeptical and hopeful that that isn't really the case.  I'm just frustrated that we got definitive answers that Lee Hyuk and NWS both liked Sunny, but on Sunny's end, we're not quite sure where she stood with either of them.

 

 

I guess you could validate this decision by saying that Sunny's purpose in the palace was never to have any kind of romantic relationship with anyone and that it was  simply just to take down the empire, but it just feels messy to me. I guess you could reason that the scenes between Lee Hyuk and Sunny were necessary to have the audience believe that he did love her and could turn on his mother and the empire for her. The writer probably also played into the fact that a lot of Korean fans shipped the two together and didn't mind those scenes. I guess you could also reason that NWS and Sunny had to have their moments for NWS to be so protective over Sunny and to develop Lee Hyuk's character. I mean think about it. He flipped out on Min Yura for having known NWS personally and stopped feeling anything for her (probably his lust) because of this; however, when he finds out about Sunny's knowledge of who NWS is, he ends up forgiving her because he actually does love her and not lust after her. Ultimately, I think the direction of the story worked well for Lee Hyuk and how his character developed, but I'm confused over the trajectory of the other characters. I'm glad that Sunny got her vengeance, but I'm disappointed by the writing. I have to watch the last four episodes in subs, but this is my initial reaction. How do you guys feel?

 

P.S.  I would definitely be down for a SSR- Jang Nara romantic comedy. If you ignore mostly everything when it comes to the context of their relationship, they do have chemistry. It would be cool to see them in a relationship, under normal circumstances like Lee Hyuk wanted. LOL. 

 

 

Yep he was just an after thought they handled every single thing around him extremely poorly.I never seen a lead done so poorly in a dram then becomes a complete after thought in the end its a complete joke. People might was well just watch  EP1 then stop thats his is complete story done and finish since they didnt bother  to actually doing anything with his plotlines

 

It makes me angry one of the most miserable person  whos suffer again an again though the drama like Sunny got nothing in the end, he could not even see his renege through like he wasted.

 

Such a waste of time to me.

 

 

[AlexandraReid]

  [SPOILERS!!!][The Last Empress Roundup] Episode 49-52 (finale) 

 

 

Original Source (OSEN via Naver): 'The Last Empress' Jang Nara's 'life' in crisis after royal family scandal...Choi Jin Hyunk 'dead'

 

Nationwide ratings for the episodes that aired on February 20 (cr. Naver TV):

• Episode 49 - 11.7%
• Episode 50 - 13.8%

1. [+1284, -16] I feel like Choi Jin Hyuk was also dumbfounded while watching

↪ [+72, -0] Did they just kill Na Wang Sik? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

2. [+816, -29] Actor Choi Jin Hyuk-nim, don't come out in makjang dramas like this and only get hurt, please film a lot of sweet dramas like 'Devilish Charm'. I'll always support you in the future as well. Good luck with your fan-meeting ^^

3. [+427, -10] Soon Ok-ah, this isn't right, isn't it? 

4. [+388, -14] Choi Jin Hyuk: (Smirk..;;)

5. [+245, -11] There's no need for long words.... Writer-nim, let's get beat up

 

---

Spoiler

 

 

Original Source (OSEN via Naver): 'The Last Empress' Shin Sung Rok confirms Choi Jin Hyuk's corpse, "I'll finish up the revenge"

 

 

Nationwide ratings for the episodes that aired on February 21 (cr. Naver TV):

 

1. [+1096, -30] So this is what they mean when they say "too many cooks spoil the broth"

 

2. [+809, -77] ㅋㅋㅋ.... I think the writer's standards and the director's standard were perfect for each other... I'll look forward to the next project as well. Since you helped us realize what embarrassment is.. The final winner of this drama is Choi Jin Hyuk who quit because he couldn't endure it until the end.. ㅋㅋ.. 

 

3. [+519, -17] Does the drama's ending want to get beat up? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

 

4. [+505, -9] Shin Eun Kyung's acting is awesome ㅋㅋ

 

5. [+339, -22] Among Kim Soon Ok's dramas, this is the biggest failure

 

6. [+184, -6] They should've saved Lee Hyuk... Did they really kill everyone because it was ending 

 

  

Original Source (Sports DongA via Naver): 'The Last Empress' Jang Nara tears down the royal family...Choi Jin Hyuk · Shin Sung Rok dies

 

1. [+3247, -65] From the first episode until the middle, it was fun and I liked it but the last minute ending was so freaking weird.. I thought they would be punished but who knew Lee Hyuk would die, it's cruel.. 

 

2. [+2071, -75] Did you just have to kill Emperor Lee Hyuk, does it feel good? Soon Ok-ah?

 

3. [+1810, -84] Shin Sung Rok and Jang Nara, please meet in a romantic comedy and melo, please

 

4. [+1046, -39] This was a drama that was saved by the actors' acting 

 

5. [+1015, -40] What's the reason for only Lee Hyuk dying  

 

creds

[AlexandraReid]

from yoonsoy ig)

 

 

------

 

[jacquelinetan]

One word for the ending. Flabbergasted!

[laivla]

I'm absolutely sure if the story of this drama already change from the first plan... 

Besides, the different ending with the sinopsis, extention episode, weirdos scene, they also forget about the detail, where it must be put the story line, the clotes or other....

 

I think at first the writer already make A Ri as an Crowned Princess or something when the police going to the palace found SH corpse

Look at her clotes.. and hair do.

 

We know it similar to 1st episode and appear in 36th episode. But then A Ri still using another hair do, similar to the usual day... 

 

But after she announced as crowned princess (Ep 45) she never change her hair do just like in the past when she's just a princess. 

 

The ending also....

In the preview we know Sunny read some letter, Lee Hyuk write a letter and stamp it.. but where's this scene?? Why they just skip this I think this scene also important, how Sunny get authority.. 

 

It developed too much, so they don't have time to airing some scene.

[lingx2]

[newreul]

Ok, so the ending was PREDICTABLE. I got a feeling long ago that in the end Hyuk will die, and they did it. WOW .

MYR got the happy ending( even her mental not stable) , while Hyuk DIE. WOW .. AMAZING. WOW. Talk about disappointment. I thought they gonna make him a happy ending when he try to be NWS and want to expose what his mom did. It was so cool when finally he realize the wrong his mom doing all this time. Then it got ruined after he really die. He should be alive and ask for forgiveness just like Sunny said keep on asking beg for forgiveness. So he become NWS just to be dead in the end. what a joke.. such a joke. 

 

Seriously if this is act by bad actors the rating would be only 1 to 2% . such a joke. how can they kill Hyuk character like that? how can? seriously? all this time the one is doing the bad thing is his mom and seo kang hee. why they blame hyuk a lot and make him die? i really dissappointed with how they make Hyuk to be. He ddint involve in the drug his mom do. He didnt kill So hyun. He didnt INTENTIONALLY kill NWS mom. WTF IS THIS???

 

The only good thing is we finally know Sunny real feelings. She still love Hyuk actually. She still have that feelings, I know she somehow can forgive Hyuk. Just see the way she is when Hyuk is dying, he doesnt want him to die. After he die she look so sad.. I know she still have a feelings for him. I THOUGHT THEY GONNA MAKE HIM ALIVE. EVEN MYR STILL ALIVE. WTF. WHEN HE DYING HE SAID HE FEEL SO SICK BY THE PALACE. MEAN HE CAN BEAR WITH THE LIFE AS A NORMAL PEOPLE!!!!!! AS LONG AS HE WITH SUNNY I THINK HE CAN LEAVE THE PALACE AND LIVE AS NORMAL PEOPLE AND BE THE FATHER OF ARI....  I CANT BELIEVE THEY MAKE HIM DEAD!!

 

ILL NEVER WATCH ANY DRAMA THAT IS WRITTEN BY THIS WRITER KIM SOON OK ANYMORE. NEVER. WASTING MY TIME.